


By Any Other Name

by used_muse



Series: BURN A BROKEN EFFIGY OF ME AND YOU [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Bodyswap, Evil Varian, F/F, F/M, Pining Cassandra, Season 1, TW: Homophobia, Tangled needed a bodyswap episode, Unrequited Cassunzel, Wacko Plot, Zany, antics, with a heavy dose of longing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/used_muse/pseuds/used_muse
Summary: Cass hasn't slept in a month, haunted by dreams of growing intensity. Varian plans his next move. Rapunzel is worried. Eugene is fed up. Time for some magical hijinks to ensue.Bodyswap episode. Should make for angsty fun!
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Series: BURN A BROKEN EFFIGY OF ME AND YOU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919197
Comments: 38
Kudos: 233





	1. What Dreams May Come

Varian allowed himself a smile. The contents of a small copper pot sitting in front of him had finally begun to shimmer and shift from a murky brown to a midnight blue - he’d created something new. He’d been at this experiment for a few days straight, losing count of the hours as he deconstructed the miasma. 

The vial containing a hint of colorful liquid happened to wash up at the lake’s edge during one of his scouting trips. The tiny waterfront was nearby enough to his father’s house that he could frequent its beach, hunting for oddities and ingredients necessary for his work. Normally that meant bits of sediment or rock formations that could be crushed or melted to obtain some useful metals. He never expected to come across something like this. 

The purple mixture was certainly some kind of ancient alchemy, mostly likely taken from an almanac or medicinal handbook. The ingredients were relatively simple but the results… Varian shivered with excitement remembering the potent effect: The once strict grocer becoming a simpering pushover with only a few dashes in his morning coffee. Varian had been able to assemble more ingredients with essentially no resistance, enabling him to not only recreate but experiment. 

The truth serum had been the first to come out of his obsessive investigation. He’d spent several days fiddling with slight variations, looking for changes of color or luminosity, indications that a different effect was being cultivated. At first when the liquid brewed green, he’d been hopeful that his changes to the formula had pushed the personality inversion even further - creating an elixir that would render the victim’s entire personality mute. That would make retrieving the last of the Sundrop flower a simple task, if it was as he hoped, buried somewhere deep in the castle’s dark, endless basement. However, after testing the green liquid - first on himself and then on some unsuspecting neighbors - the truth serum’s power was revealed. 

_Not bad at all, as a first step_. Varian took a pipette’s worth of the dark blue liquid and squirted it into two awaiting glasses of water. But it wasn’t enough to _know_ the Sundrop flower still sat withered and dying somewhere, even if he traveled with Rapunzel to retrieve it. He grimaced at the thought of the princess. He couldn’t let his father sit in his amber prison for one more day. He needed that flower. 

_And with Cassie and Eugene around_ , he sighed grimly, _I’ll never get her alone._

Coronan guards were disposed of easily enough but he knew Rapunzel’s two constant friends were more proactive than the rest of the palace. Left alone, they’d get in the way. He mixed the blue into the clear water until the last trace of color disappeared. He swirled the cups cavalierly, contemplating his next move. He was sorry to hurt them, especially Cassandra. 

_Focus_. 

Cassie would be fine, _eventually_ , and besides - his eyes darkened. She’d stood by, watching as he was dragged away by those palace guards. He placed the cups back on his work bench, his mind made up.

The smile crept back across his face, as he called out,

“Ruddiger! Come down here buddy,” he waved encouragingly as his small furry friend crawled gingerly towards him from across the room. 

“Don’t worry,” he added, noticing the raccoon’s reluctant gait, “nothing scary this time! You won't have to do anything but wait.”

He knelt down and picked up Ruddiger, setting him on the work bench next to the glass cups. Giving them one more stir, he glanced toward the large amber structure that dominated his work room.

“I won't let you down, dad.”

-

Cassandra tore towards Rapunzel’s room. She hadn’t slept last night, marking one happy month of insomnia. Few things could worsen her mood after thirty-one sleepless nights, but given her luck... she was unsurprised when Eugene Fitzherbert rushed her by the staircase door, prattling off inane questions and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

“Lucky for you, it doesn’t matter what you wear tonight. Because you _aren’t invited_ , Fitzherbert.” She said cooly, tearing her menu out of his hands. “This is a private event. Ergo, no former thieves allowed.”

“Since when am I not included in private events?” Eugene shot back, eyeing her warily. “Got up on the wrong side of the iron-maiden this morning?”

“Shove it, Eugene. I’ve got a long day.” She was already halfway down the length of the hall. Eugene sighed and ran after her, struggling to stay at pace.

“Fair, fair. But I don’t see how you’re invited and I’m not. Ladies-in-waiting outrank future kings now?”

Cass’ face folded into a withering glare.

“Ladies-in-waiting who are on _duty_ have to be where Crowley asks us to be. And you aren't _anyone's_ king.” 

“Maybe _technically…”_ Eugene tried to slow her down but Cass was relentless. “Look, is Freddie still mad about the incident with the Griffin? ‘Cause we both know I’m not the only one who should be taking the fall for that little-”

“Eugene,” Cass finally stopped in front of Rapunzel’s door. “Yes, these are King’s orders. I’m just carrying them out. He’s trying to cut down on liabilities, and with the delicate nature of the guests' visitation...” 

“Delicate, huh…” Eugene stared her down. It was certainly possible King Frederic had shut him out. On the other hand, this wouldn’t be the first time Cass fibbed her way into getting what she wanted. “What could the Old Coronans be pissy about this time…”

“Hm, gosh, I don't know! Could it be the huge black rocks tearing up their countryside?” 

Cass preferred Eugene completely in the dark if she could help it, but sometimes it was worth it to see Eugene’s eyes go wide with curiosity. Reminded him who's castle this _really_ was.

“So, if you could _please_ keep whatever egotistical rampage you’re on today in check? And save your date for another night.”

“E- e- egotistical?!” he sputtered, ”I’ll have you know-” 

Rapunzel flung her door open, and bellowed a friendly _good morning_ at her two companions. She wrapped her arms around Eugene, planting a kiss on his cheek. Cass quietly snuck around, grabbing a brush and Rapunzel's many hair ties. 

_Another day of working completely exhausted._

After a month of dealing with lack of sleep, Cassandra thought she had adjusted. But Eugene's presence during her mornings with Rapunzel made her want to collapse.

It wasn’t just that she didn’t personally care for Eugene. Yes, of course, a former thief and enemy of the kingdom lucking their way into the easy life irked her - it was antithetical to how she saw her own story unfolding: Working as hard as she possibly could here at the castle until her true destiny revealed itself. Eugene on the other hand had gone from enemy to beloved hero in one afternoon. After being forced to spend time with him, the princess’ happiness had been enough to cool her feelings from outright animosity to mild annoyance. But recently… 

As she helped Rapunzel get ready, Cass’ mind flashed to the confrontation between herself and Eugene last month. It had started with her first sleepless night, when the nightmares began.

Before the princess had returned, Cass’ dreams wandered to the far away lands to which she wanted to travel, the fights she would win, and the life she was meant to live. She felt utterly detached from her grunt work around the castle, taking every opportunity to sneak off for extra training or battle formations study. These days, however, taking care of the princess seemed to be all her unconscious mind could conjure. Rapunzel flooded her dreams.

Which wasn't so bad, all things considered. Despite everything, Cass had to admit her view of the lost princess had softened over the months. She _did_ have a horrible tendency to pry and overstep, concerning herself with the ins and outs of Cassandra’s personal life. She often ignored Cass’s sound advice, throwing herself into unnecessary danger, more often than not dragging her handmaiden along too. She was so… unlike anyone Cass had even met. And that was frustrating. 

That night, Cass had been unable to rescue her from a foreign invasion. She tore through a castle in flames, screaming her name, praying she wasn’t too late. She couldn’t lose her, not like this. A faint voice called out to her-

And then she woke up, a thin layer of sweat coating her skin. Her breath was choppy and her cheeks flushed.

_Get out of my head, Raps._

Royals are royals, no matter how many years they spend in a tower. Of course she was fond of the princess, but Cass was still a lady-in-waiting. A servant. She tore down to the stables, an early morning ride to the Coronan shore with Fidella calling out to her numb mind, promising distraction and a clear head by sunrise. 

Except instead of a quiet, empty stable awaiting her, she’d heard a theatrical voice practicing turns of phrase in the darkness. She drew her dagger and crept towards the entrance, stealthily sneaking in to uncover… Fitzherbert. On one knee. With that damn ring again. 

“Eugene…?” she sheathed her weapon as the thief spun on his heels.

“Cass _and_ ra?” he spat out, turning her elegant long _a_ into a flat _eh_ , a quirk he had been quick to pick up when he found out it bothered her. “What are you doing here?”

“I was _planning_ on taking out Fidella,” she fired back, attempting to push down the knot forming in her stomach, “Not that I need to ask what you’re doing here, Mr. Prince Consort."

The former thief rolled his eyes, pocketing the ring.

“And what would you know about it, ice queen?" He said dismissively, strolling past Cassandra.

"It’s only been four months since the last one, you might wanna slow your roll. You're coming off a little desperate.” She tried to keep her banter light but the bitter edge got caught up in her throat. Eugene turned back to her, stung.

"I get it, my first proposal went... less than ideally, but the next one is gonna be a success. Rapunzel’s already _basically_ said yes.” He smiled as the remaining color drained from Cassandra’s face. 

So what if Rapunzel didn’t know about his second proposal? He knew that _she_ knew they were meant to end up together, it was just a matter of figuring out the right moment. And despite the scowl currently occupying her face, he was confident Cass knew that too. Somewhere deep, _deep_ down.

 _So why does it bother her so much_?

Cass’ eyes darkened, her lack of sleep impeding her read on Eugene’s bluff. Could Rapunzel really have already said yes... ? The exhaustion and her strange dreams burned in her mind, relieving her of better judgement

“Listen Fitzherbert, you might have everyone in Corona under your spell - the king and queen seem truly convinced that all you want is Rapunzel’s happiness. But I _know_ a bloodsucker when I see one. And I won’t allow my home to be overtaken by a con artist trying to play the most gullible girl in the kingdom.” 

Cass spat her words out in a hushed whisper, looking up to see Eugene’s face contort in genuine hurt. She felt guilt wash over her, buckling her confident stance into insecurity. She reached her arm out.

“Eugene, I just-”

“Is that what you think of me?” He took a step back, “You _really_ think this is still some ‘get rich quick’ scheme?” The thief laughed softly to himself. “And here I thought we were starting to get to know each other, Cass.”

He stole quickly towards the door, stepping into the early spring air. He shot her a glance and shrugged.

“Well, at least I know you always have Rapuznel’s best interests at heart.”

The door was empty before Cass could say another word. She cursed, sliding down into the hay and running her hands through her coarse hair. 

_Why did I say that?_

Feeling pathetic, she took out her knife and began attacking the ground in front of her. Bad practice if she wanted to maintain the blade's durability, but at the moment it felt good to stab something. 

_I know that Eugene isn’t going anywhere. God, she obviously loves him._

Her mind drifted to her dreams from last night. She leaned her head to the wall and closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion overwhelm her. All she did was take care of the princess and now she couldn’t even take evenings off. 

_Since when do I care about Royals and who they marry? It’s her life, she can do what she wants._

Cassandra stood, and turned back towards the castle. She had to be up in an hour, another full day of work. Castle life waited for nobody, least of all a handmaiden.

-

“Eugene isn’t invited?!” Rapunzel’s blonde hair whipped around. She looked pointedly at Cassandra, mouth open in disbelief. Cass rolled her eyes.

“It’s on your father’s orders. I’m sorry Raps, but they’re trying to avoid any further mishaps,” she futzed around Rapunzel’s room, finalizing their preparation for the day. Eugene looked on from the door frame, smiling as his girlfriend fought for his place.

Cass wanted to smack that smirk right off his face. In the month since they'd fought at the stables, they hadn’t said another word about it. Or told Rapunzel.

“But that wasn’t his fault!” The princess squared herself in front of Cassandra, hands on her hips. “Besides, both the Griffin and my father left happy, so maybe we _should_ provide a little personality reversal.”

“Look, Rapunzel, the whole situation seems a little fraught to me,” she said dismissively, going around the princess and pulling out her only remaining clean dress. The other outfits had been rendered unwearable by yesterday’s painting activity. 

“If you want to take it up with your father: be my guest. But maybe Fitzherbert can sit this one out without making a huge stink about it.” 

She caught his eye from across the room. Checking to make sure Rapuznel wasn’t looking, she stuck out her tongue. The princess sighed and stepped behind her folding screen and into the dress Cassandra had waiting. 

“Well... maybe you’re right. One dinner isn't such a big deal.” As Eugene began to sputter his disapproval, she rolled her eyes and shouted, “Besides, I’m sure it won’t take _too_ long and we can still make it a late evening date instead!” The blonde hair popped up from behind the thin veneer. 

“Wouldn’t that be more romantic anyway?” She batted her heart eyes at the rogue, who couldn’t help but let the frown melt off of his face. 

“Well, it would definitely shake up my big plans for tonight but... I guess you’re right. It’ll probably be a snooze-fest anyway!” He smiled wide as Rapunzel re-entered the room. It quickly dissipated as Cassandra followed close behind, satisfied at his retreat. His eyes narrowed, and unable to resist the barb, shot back,

“I suppose your lady-in-waiting will still be present tonight? Despite her involvement with the Griffin incident?” Cass frowned.

“Well, she _is_ officially on duty,” Rapunzel smiled up at him, “but Eugene, if it means so much to you, I’ll ask my father again if you can join us. I’m having lunch with him today.” 

The princess gave him a quick peck on the lips before starting out of the room, Cassandra’s blue dress following close behind. As they cleared the door, Cass' head whipped around and gave him one last withering gaze before turning the corner. He listened as Cass began a monotone delivery of what sounded like a packed schedule, her voice fading as they sped towards their first engagement.

Eugene sighed, running his hands through his hair. He understood he couldn’t be at every royal event, and the King and Queen still had some reason to be distrustful of him. Trouble seemed to follow the trio everywhere, not that it was ever entirely his fault! He knew they were probably just being cautious and Cass’ behavior was only out of love for Rapunzel.

But it _was_ true that if things went according to his and Rapunzel’s plan, he would be prince consort one day. Why would his future queen want to be best friends with someone who had it out for him?

-

“Are you feeling okay?” Rapunzel cut Cassandra off at the end of her prep for the breakfast they were attending.

_Nobles from the Hoskins' House, blah, blah, Old Corona, something, something, crop failures._

The young princess was more curious about her best friend. She could always tell when something was bothering her, even when Cassandra didn’t want her to ask.

“What do you mean?” Cass kept her eyes forward, unyielding. Rapunzel sighed and tugged at her arm.

“I know my father doesn’t want too many people at this dinner but you were being more snippy than usual with Eugene this morning.” Cass remained aloof, “What is _up_ with you two recently? You _know_ I hate it when my two favorite people refuse to get along.” 

“It’s nothing Raps, really, I just haven’t been sleeping lately and your boyfriend tends to step on my every nerve.” 

Cassandra tried to resume at pace, but Rapunzel was already in front of her. Cass sighed and looked away, not allowing Rapunzel’s curiosity to get the better of her. Caught up in the monotony of shepherding her around Corona, she could ignore the painful feelings brought on by the strange dreams. But when the princess poked her nose into it... 

“Are you sure, Cass? You look a little... red,” she said cautiously, “Did… _I_ do something to make you mad?” 

She took Cassandra’s roughened hands in her own. The handmaiden felt her cheeks flush. 

“I’m fine, I promise,” Cass pulled her hands away and turned Rapunzel around, “Come on, we’ll be late to meet with the Hoskins if we don’t keep walking.” 

Rapunzel quieted to Cass’ relief, although she continued to cast worried glances towards her friend every few seconds. Cass kept her eyes on their destination.

The dreams had only intensified in the month since. Cass hardly even tried to sleep anymore. Some nights, she woke up in that cold sweat, terrified Rapunzel had been stolen away. Other nights, she woke to a red face, thoughts of the two of them smiling and laughing in her bedroom still fresh in her mind. Cass had begun to prefer the nightmares. At least those were less confusing.

Cass always thought caring too much for other people was - at best - an unnecessary distraction. Something for people who had nothing else to fill up their empty lives. At worst, it was a liability. She focused on other, more practical things, like her training - fighting, protecting, and persevering in a dangerous world. 

She cared for her father, of course, but that was out of respect for the man who’d adopted her, saved her from a life on the Coronan streets. After she turned sixteen, he'd started floating the idea of marriage, bringing young tradesmen home for dinner every few weeks. Cass chuckled, remembering the long, awkward silences.

But after a year or so - and a few major fights - the proposals stopped. Now at twenty-two, Cass was thankfully pretty much certain her father had given up. Growing up in the castle, she saw young women being used like bargaining chips, gifts to and from powerful families. 'True love' could be afforded to long lost princesses, and no one else. 

Just another reason not to think about it. Getting out of marriage had been easy as an orphan with nothing to offer, made even easier by her not _wanting_ anyone. Her eyes flashed sideways. 

During her recent off-duty alone time with Rapunzel - swimming in their lagoon or sneaking around just the two of them - a question had wormed its way into her head. She dismissed it as ridiculous - she simply cared deeply about the princess. Given that she wasn't used to feeling that way about anyone, the feelings had intensified and confused her. 

_And yet._

They arrived at the local eatery without any more conversation. Rapunzel spotted the local lord and sat him down near the window, beginning their breakfast with gusto. Cass looked on, proud of how her diplomacy skills had grown in the months since she arrived. She was something to watch in action now, all smiles and boundless energy.

Suddenly embarrassed, Cass quietly joined Rapunzel at the table. She couldn’t get so lost in her thoughts. Someone could notice her staring aimlessly at her friend. 

_Her future queen_ , she reminded herself. 

-

Varian crept along the underside of the Coronan Bridge, the impressive structure connecting the island capital to the mainland. Normally, agility was not the young alchemist’s strong suit but currently… Varian gripped his small black paws, _or would they be hands,_ into the brick as he slowly made his way towards the palace. Making a mental note to learn more about the basic physiology of raccoons, he gripped the vial containing a dark blue mixture, assuring himself that he had not dropped it. While there were other animals who could’ve made the journey to Corona less conspicuous, it was the opposable thumbs of his constant companion that would make his mission a success. 

Getting to the palace should be simple now. His real body sat at the edge of the bridge, hopefully pacified by the food and drink he’d left himself with. 

_Please let no one find him before I get back._

Varian picked up the pace towards the castle, taking care to avoid dogs and the occasional animal catcher stalking the backstreets of Corona. The last thing he needed was to get caught. 

He hadn’t been so stupid as to not have a back up plan. He'd had taken some precaution in case of capture, a failsafe. After twenty-four hours, he should find himself back in his regular body. Perhaps with a raccoon to rescue from a cage, but at least, human. A full day of confusion between the princess’ entourage should give him enough time to carry out his underground mission.

 _Granted, that’s the one thing I never tested._ Time was of the essence if he wanted his father to have a chance at surviving the amber. And the twenty-four failsafe worked with the truth serum. There was no reason to think it wouldn't have the same effect now.

The boy within the raccoon swallowed hard as the enormous palace gates appeared in his low down line of vision. He was sure the failsafe would prove superfluous. All he needed now was to make his way to the kitchen. Hopefully the staff kept Cass and Eugene’s food clearly labeled...

-

“And on this special occasion, we celebrate our friends: the House of Hoskins, from Old Corona. Their significant support of our new security measures, both in men and gold, has guaranteed the Princess will be kept safe from any potential threats-”

_The King is really hammering this one home._

Cassandra’s eyes drooped to the floor. She shuffled in her heels, begging for relief from her handmaiden uniform. Last week, she had been guarding this room for the Griffin, protecting her royal family and her kingdom. Now? 

Now, she sat in a blue dress with white trim, poking at poultry with the wrong fork. She’d barely touched her food, unable to push down the sick feeling that stuck in her stomach all day. Raps’ line of questioning had been dangerous, especially given her naivety. If she ever got an inkling of Cass' dreams or these _unusual_ recent thought patterns, Eugene would know within an hour. Her father by the end of the day. Then it would be a convent for sure. 

“...And, without their hard work in the Coronan countryside, how could we have survived the sudden winter storm…”

She stole a look back at the guards behind her, crisp uniforms, lances in hand. She stewed in her exhaustion and anger. How could her father justify trusting her one week and throwing her back in a dress the next? It was all so unbelievably unfair, like everything she was dealing with. Another problem that would be solved if she hadn’t been an orphan girl, hadn’t been forced into being a handmaiden, good for nothing more than doing laundry and standing around.

Her eyes scanned the room, narrowing on Eugene. The pretty boy sat next to Rapunzel, fiddling with his also-untouched food. Of course he’d made it in, Rapunzel’s doing. No one could resist her requests, _least of all me._ Cass sank further into her chair. He leaned over and whispered something, probably obscene, but it got the princess giggling and blushing. Cass’ grip tightened around her silverware. 

_Could this night get any longer?_

At that moment, the King concluded his speech with a request for dessert, and the kitchen staff began moving again. Cassandra watched them bring out trays of fruitcake paired with almond wine, alcohol so sweet she could barely keep it down. The plate was set in front of her, and she went to push it away before catching Rapunzel’s eyes. Her face strewn with worry, she subtly raised a glass to her lady-in-waiting, mouthing one word:

_Cheers?_

Cass smiled despite herself, following Rapunzel’s lead. A peace offering. Despite her confusion, she couldn’t keep taking it out on the two of them. Acting miserable would only make the feelings more powerful. Eugene raised his glass as well, offering a sincere smile. The three friends drank, momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of the day. 

The drink hit her like a sack of bricks. She pulled away from the glass, almost spitting it up. What the hell was in this stuff? Cass wasn’t exactly known as a light weight, and besides, this was dessert wine. 

She turned from side to side, gauging her fellow guests’ response to the toxin. No one at her table seemed to have noticed her reaction or have gotten hit with the same putrid taste. Turning back, her eyes lagged behind the movement of her head, her hands beginning to tingle.

Cassandra’s mind raced. Unfortunately in this kingdom, there were too many possibilities. 

_Poison? Opiate? Some kind of alchemic elixir?_

She attempted to steel herself against the mixture but was already underwater. She grabbed the table in front of her, causing the guests seated around to jump. Looking up, she locked eyes with Rapunzel, who rose to her feet calling her name. Her vision slipped sideways to Eugene, who's eyes looked... slightly unfocused. Tipping out of her chair, Cassandra fell to the ground and everything went dark.

-

Through a small crack high up in the walls of the banquet hall, a small furry form smiled before stealing back into the Coronan night. _Chaos ensues_ , he giggled to himself, imagining the rest of their evening. Now all he had to do was get safely back to his body to begin the second part of his plan. Varian sped off through the ceiling, back towards his own body.

-

The pounding in her head pushed her towards consciousness.

_...if you can’t get a hold of the doctor, then…_

_...have you any idea what could have happened to Lord…_

_...Eugene!_

Her eyelids cracked open. Rapunzel’s terrified face was inches from her own. If it weren’t for the nausea and complete exhaustion overwhelming her, she’d have jumped a foot in the air. 

“Eugene!” 

The princess dove into a hug, which Cass protested with a loud groan. The sudden affection ignited her head and sent a painful shiver down her spine. 

_Eugene?_

“I’m okay Raps, just go easy on the hugging…” Cassandra wheezed. She couldn’t bring herself to sit up, and focused on breathing instead. Worst hangover of her life. 

“Oops!” Rapunzel reversed course, easing her back down to the ground, “I’m so glad you’re awake, you had me terrified.” She turned around to what Cass assumed was a room still filled with guests,

“He’s awake everyone! But still in a lot of pain,” she heard sighs of relief amidst continued murmuring, “How is she?” 

_Did Rapunzel just call me ‘he’?_

“I’ll be right back, my love,” the blonde was looking into her eyes with an… unusual amount of devotion, “I just need to check on Cassandra. Whoever did this… they were trying to hurt both of you.”

_Did my drink fry her brain too?_

And then Rapunzel bent down and kissed Cassandra on the lips. 

Immediately Cass was at full alert, her cheeks bright red. 

“I love you,” the princess squeezed her hand.

“Raps…?” she croaked out, but the princess was already off to the other corner of the room and out of sight.

 _Rapunzel… just… kissed me?_ Her mind spinning, she felt unconsciousness coming back for round two. With one last burst of energy, she lifted up her head and took in her surroundings, noticing she was on the other side of the banquet hall from where she had been seated. 

_Rapunzel kissed… me?_

Scanning for where she’d gone, she located the blonde kneeling next to someone else unconscious on the floor, wearing a light blue dress. A small crowd surrounded this person and Rapunzel was speaking to them, obviously agitated. She caught one word: _Cassandra._

_That’s… me._

The thought entered her mind before her logical side could stop it. That couldn’t be her. She was here. She was her. There was no other person she could be. They... must simply have a similar dress.

_The princess… called me Eugene._

Gripped with dawning horror, Cassandra looked down. The handmaiden screamed. 

Swaths of blue leather wrapped unfamiliar skin and hair, encasing a foreign body both taller and wider than it should be. Mouth wide open, she moved her hands across her too hairy arms and chest, examining the olive complexion and well moisturized hands. She scrambled for explanations, her brain struggling to make sense of such intense incongruity. She found herself standing, the headache and nausea gone. Her hands jumped to her chin. 

_That… stupid… little… goatee._

Grabbing a glass off the table, she gazed into her reflection. Begging the universe for a swift end to this hallucination. 

And Eugene Fitzeherbert stared back at her. His plucked eyebrows, well trimmed hair, and perfect nose glinting in the shining crystal. Even the look of shock resting on his face she recognized from her many adventures with the former thief. 

_On… my face_. The thought slipped out. Cassandra felt ill.

Setting the glass down, she looked back down at her… well, at Eugene’s body. It was undeniable. The outfit, the shape, even her smell was now Eugene’s, his fancy cologne wafting up to her nostrils, instead of her usual mix of sweat and soap. If there was ever a time she wanted to see her blue dress… 

_My dress,_ she thought, and whipped her head back across the room. She saw the person in her handmaid's outfit slowly rising, rubbing her head. 

“Gosh, blondie, if you didn’t want to have me at the dinner, you shoulda just said so!” Cassandra heard her voice ring out. 

_Eugene._

That was her pale face, framed by the stupid blue veil Crowley forced her to wear. She watched in horrible fascination as it scrunched up in embarrassment. 

“Wow, what was in that stuff? My voice sounds two octaves higher.”

The two mixed up bodies found each other’s eyes. Eugene’s jaw dropped, and Cass was already crossing the room and grabbing his hand. 

“ _Outside. Now!”_ she hissed, her panicked command fizzling out in Eugene’s baritone. 

She pulled at her own arm, noting with what would normally be pleasure at how easily Eugene stopped her from within her body. He continued to stare at his own face, mouth open.

“You’re… you’re… me?” 

Rapunzel turned Eugene around, worry growing on the princess’ face.

“Cassandra, are you feeling alright? Whatever was in that drink must’ve really affected you, you just called me blondie!”

“Cass _and_ ra?” Eugene whimpered. The real Cass groaned. She watched her own body glance between the two of them before the thief finally cast his gaze down towards the body he currently inhabited. 

_Now this_ , she thought grimly, _was gonna be bad_. She grabbed her own hand and was already pulling Eugene out of the room as the screaming began. 

-

This time, her real body was so in shock that it took almost nothing to drag Eugene away from the banquet hall into a secluded room. Checking to make sure it was clear, Cass turned back to face… herself. Her normally strong features contorted up in a mess of whimpering, Cass sighed. He looked like a little girl separated from their mother. 

“Are you… Zhan Tiri?”

That stopped her short.

 _“_ What?” Cass spat out, exasperated, “No, Eugene, it’s me. It’s Cassandra.”

 _Observant as ever, Fitzherbert_ _._

“Cass!” The thief’s voice breaking as he unsuccessfully attempted to lower his pitch, “You did this to us?! I should’ve known your moodiness was jealousy all along! You better switch us back right-”

“Eugene!” Cass grabbed her body’s shoulders, “I didn’t _do_ this! What are you, crazy? I’m as confused as you are!” She relinquished her grip and watched her own face contort even further into panic.

“No, no, no, no!” he whined, “you need to know what’s going on! If you don’t know how we got like this, then how are we ever gonna swap back?”

“I don’t know yet, but you _need to calm down!”_

“Of course, _you’re_ calm,” turning away, he began to pace the length of the small room, attempting to straighten his dress as if it were his button down, “who wouldn’t be with those cheekbones…”

“Eugene,” Cassandra groaned, “believe it or not, I’m also _not_ thrilled about looking at my own face right now. But unless you wanna alert the whole castle to our situation, _shut your mouth_!”

That finally got him quiet, leading to a thick silence falling over the room. Cass couldn’t resist smirking as Eugene stared at his shoes, continually pulling and prodding at the uncomfortable wiring and fabrics that made up her uniform. 

_At least I’m not the only one who hates that dress._

“Okay, so obviously someone spiked our drinks with something,” Cass offered, “and whatever it was caused… this.” She gestured down, wincing. 

_And if we don’t get the antidote, I’ll be looking at this body everyday for the rest of my life._

The thought made her want to throw up. 

“Who do we know who has that kind of magic?” 

Eugene-inside-Cassandra’s eyes widened.

“You don’t think - Xavier again?!” he groaned, “I mean, there’s teaching a lesson and then there’s serious physical harm!”

“Being me is _not_ serious physical harm!”

“Might as well be...” he scowled, “God, my voice has never sounded more annoying. Couldn’t you at least _try_ to capture my intricate phrasing?” 

“ _Your_ voice? You make me sound like a whiny little girl!” she shot back. 

“It’s hard not to, the whine is so _natural_ to the _form_!”

“Eugene!” she barked before taking a deep breath, “Look, we have to figure this out together, so let’s cool it with the insults?”

Eugene slumped back into silence, Cass’ mind turned back towards their next move.

Xavier. Of course, he must be involved. The old blacksmith had scuttled their personalities just last Monday. 

_Why does the mystical crap always happen to me_? 

“Xavier is a good place to start. I’m sure he’ll have an idea of what caused this. Come on, if we hurry, we’ll be back before anyone knows we’re-”

The door slammed open and revealed a frenzied Rapunzel.

“There you two are!” 

Her hair unbraided and wild, the princess pulled Cassandra into another bone-crushing hug.

“What is going on?” Rapunzel asked as she relinquished her victim, “You two both pass out at the same time, start talking crazy, and then rush out of the room?”

The two body-swapped frienemies exchanged quick glances, trying to develop an unspoken repartee where none had existed before. Cass pleaded for silence.

_Eugene, for once, shut your mouth. If you tell her everyone in the castle will know._

This was far and away worse than the personality swap. If prancing around like a happy-go-lucky idiot hadn’t been humiliating enough, now everyone in the castle would find out she was currently inhabiting _Fitzherbert_ ’s body. The thought of anyone knowing, especially Rapunzel, made her want to change her name and run far away.

Unable to gage his response, she turned back to Rapunzel.

“Well… _blondie_ ,” Cassandra offered, trying her hand at imitating Eugene’s rogue-ish cadence, “ _Cass_ and I here were just… getting some air?”

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. Cass tried again, gesticulating broadly. 

“You know, after that fall… I wasn’t myself for a second. And, I figured Cass _a_ _nd_ ra here felt the same.”

She smiled slightly, proud of herself for catching Eugene’s infuriating pronunciation of her name. She looked back at herself, gesturing slightly. He rolled his eyes.

“Uh… yeah, _Raps_ ,” he mumbled after a moment of silence, “I felt pretty rough there for a minute but I’m doing much… better now. _Fitzherbert_ and I just need some rest.”

“Yes!” Cass said, more confidently now, walking towards Rapunzel with what she hoped was a Eugene-like-swagger, “We’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep. So! We’ll see you in the morning and-”

“Woah, you guys are gonna go to bed?” Rapunzel said, confused, “Someone tried to poison you both, and you’re just going to sleep?”

“Ehrm… well…” Cass’ head spun in place, “You know I need my beauty rest?”

“Yeah!” Eugene piped up, a little frantic, “And I have to go… polish my weapons! It calms me.”

Rapunzel looked a little lost but nodded slowly.

“Well, of course, whatever you two need.” She grabbed Cass-inside-Eugene’s hands and pulled her close. Cass flushed at being two inches from Rapunzel. Eugene’s mouth opened slightly.

“Eugene,” she started sweetly, “I know it’s been a long night, but we can still make room for our late-evening date! I know how much you wanted it to happen.”

“Oh! Yes! Well, no! We don’t have to worry about-” Cass tried to inch herself away.

“Here, let’s at least go back to my room for some nighttime cookies!” Rapunzel smiled, “That always makes you feel better before bed!”

Cass’ mind began to race. How was she going to ditch Rapunzel? Whatever had happened to herself and Eugene, she needed to stick with her body until she was inside it again.

“Right… but-”

“Cassandra!”

Cass watched in dismay as her father tore into the room towards Eugene, who eyed the Captain of the Guard warrily.

“Thank god, are you alright?”

Eugene’s eyes flashed back to Cassandra, begging for any kind of help. Cass just shrugged her shoulders.

“Uhm, yeah _Dad,_ I’m fine,” he said after a short pause.

Rapunzel turned towards the Captain.

“They’re both exhausted, would you mind getting Cass to bed?” Lowering her voice, she added, “I think they’re still a little loopy from whatever was in those glasses.”

He nodded and turned towards his daughter’s body, placing a strong arm around her. Eugene squirmed within his grip.

“We should have the palace doctor check them out before they go to sleep.”

Rapunzel turned towards Eugene, unaware that her boyfriend looked at her from within her best friend’s body. Smiling, she squeezed his hands.

“Let’s make sure you're okay and put to bed. First thing tomorrow, I'll come check on you and we’ll start tracking down whoever did this. No one messes with Cassandra and gets away with it.”

Eugene cleared his throat as if to speak, but nothing came out. The Captain slowly led him out of the room as Cassandra watched her own head whip back and forth panicked. His eyes called out for Cass to interrupt, to keep him from alone time with her father, but Cass couldn’t think of any reason Eugene would need to talk to her alone, especially when she looked so… frail. She had never seen herself so unsteady. 

_No wonder Raps is trying to send me to bed._

Her father and her body turned the corner towards her bedroom and she began adjusting their already flimsy plan.

_Okay, so I’ll have to rescue Eugene from my room and break us out. No problem. I just have to get away from Rapunzel and-_

“Why don’t we go back to your room, Eugene?” The princess’ eyes were back on her, with plenty of sweet concern, “That way, the medic can see you and we can have you in bed as soon as possible. I’ll stay with you the whole night if you need me!”

_No, no, no!_

“Look Raps, I’m fine, I just _really_ need some sleep and I’m sure you need to decompress after all of that-”

“You called me Raps again!” Cass flinched, caught. Rapunzel frowned and moved in close, “You only call me that when you’re upset. What’s going on, really?”

Cass sighed. If she was going to get the princess to leave her alone, she had to play the part more convincingly. If she kept acting like Cassandra, Rapunzel wouldn’t believe her boyfriend was okay enough to be by himself. 

Another thought quietly crept into her mind.

_Besides, when will you ever get another chance to have a date with Rapunzel?_

That was all the motivation she needed. Forcing a smile, she turned back to Rapunzel and re-entered her Eugene impression.

“Nothing’s wrong! And some cookies sound great!” 

_That couldn’t possibly take too long, right?_

“Are you sure?” Rapunzel didn’t look convinced. Cass smiled nervously.

“Of course, _blondie,_ I’m never too tired for some time with my… girlfriend.”

“Aw, Eugene!” The princess opened into a wide smile, “I was so worried about you… _and_ Cass. I thought I had lost the two most important people in the world to me on the same day.”

Looking up, she gave Cass another kiss, getting up on her tiptoes and leaning in. Cass involuntarily pulled away at the affection, startled. Rapunzel also took a step back.

“Is that not okay right now?” she asked, a little hurt.

“No, no! Of course it is!” Cass realized her mistake and came closer in towards Rapunzel. Steeling herself, she took her head in her hands and kissed her. 

_Oh._

As soon as it began, Cass was lost within the kiss. A few seconds too many clicked by as the two gently locked lips. Finally, Rapunzel pulled away.

“Oh, Eugene…” she said, seeming just as undone, “I love you.”

“I… I love you too, Raps.” Rapunzel didn’t seem to notice the incorrect nickname. She pulled Cassandra wordlessly through the door.

“Uhm, my room, you said?” 

-

Eugene sat in Cassandra’s room, silently cursing Xavier while waiting for the doctor to arrive. The Captain stared at him.

_Worst. Day. Ever._

He went to shove his hands in his pockets and was met with smooth satin. His eyes filled with rage.

_Are you kidding me?! Pockets! Where are you when I need you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started this show about three weeks ago and it has seized my subconscious. 
> 
> Any comments or kudos are extremely appreciated.


	2. Murdered Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw for internalized homophobia.

_No, no, no, no-_

Varian had made it back across the bridge with no issue, easily disguising himself in the twilight. The incriminating bottle disposed of behind Feldspar’s shop, he had been eager to get back in his own body and begin the second part of his plan. The truth serum was safely with Ruddiger, as was the antidote.

Except when he arrived at the large oak where he’d left his body-swapped companion, the spot was empty. Scraps of food were spread about the base of the tree but there was no sign of his body or the reversal potion he so desperately needed. He felt panic rising in his throat as he scanned the vicinity.

_Why didn’t I just leave him at home?_

At the time, Varian thought it would take too long to get all the way back to Old Corona, eating away at the little time he had to retrieve the sundrop flower. He felt confident Ruddiger would stay put while he underwent his mission. Despite being wild, he’d always been responsive to his commands. Now he wasn’t sure where the animal had taken his body. All the horrible scenarios that could have befallen him began to spiral in Varian’s head. What if he’d gotten hurt? Or thrown in jail? 

Varian took a deep breath. He still had the failsafe, which should be kicking in anytime now. As long as that worked he could get himself out of whatever scrape Ruddiger had fallen into, and still have enough time to carry out his plan. 

_He’s probably just back home, he always finds his way there eventually._

He knew it was more hope than truth, but he had no where else to go. Wishing more than ever he’d had had a human friend to swap with, Varian began ambling towards Old Corona.

-

Cass had never spent much time in Eugene’s room. It was bigger than her quarters, with some memorabilia from his adventures over the past few months sitting above the fireplace, along with various Flynn Rider books piled on his bedside table. The bed looked… clean enough. The thought of spending the night in it sent shivers down her spine, but she was confident it wouldn’t come to that. As soon as she could get rid of Rapunzel, she would sneak herself and Eugene out to see Xavier and undo this whole awful evening. 

The palace doctor was currently examining her - _Eugene’s_ body, and asking her basic questions about what had happened in the banquet hall. She looked over his shoulder at Rapunzel, who sat in a small wooden chair on the other side of the room. She looked worried and tired, but whenever she caught Cass’ eye, she gave her a big smile and held up the plate of cookies she had brought from the kitchen. 

The short, rotund man finished his examination and turned back towards the princess.

“Well your highness, Mr. Fitzherbert certainly took a bad fall earlier but as far as I can tell, there’s nothing medically wrong with him. I think with a good night’s sleep, he should feel absolutely fine by tomorrow.” 

“Oh, that’s wonderful news,” Rapunzel stood and crossed towards Cassandra. She squeezed her arm and smiled. “And is Cassandra doing alright? Have you already seen her?”

“I’ll be on my way to your lady-in-waiting’s chamber right now. But if you are correct and it was the same affliction, I don’t think you should have anything to worry about.”

“What a relief…” Rapunzel plopped down next to her on the bed. “Thank you so much, Malcolm.” 

“Of course, your highness.” And with a bow, he vacated the room. 

Cassandra’s pulse rose. All she had to do now was eat a few cookies, act like a smarmy buffoon, give Rapunzel a goodnight kiss, and she’d be home free. She turned to the princess, the green glint of her eyes shinning in the candlelight.

It was the kiss that gave her pause, the intimate moment they had shared half an hour ago playing on repeat in her mind. She’d had to kiss Rapunzel to keep up their ruse, but the confused feelings that came with it were still making her head spin.

“Well, looks like ol’ Eugene is pretty much indestructible,” Cass said, feeling slightly ridiculous but proud of how her Fitzherbert impression was growing. It wasn’t as if acting had ever been her strong suit, but he was a pretty easy target. Just do and say the most obnoxious thing possible with as much gusto as she could manage. She grabbed a cookie from the plate and shoved it in her mouth. 

Rapunzel laughed and grabbed her hands.

“Let’s not get too cocky, mister. I don’t want to have to save your life _again_.” 

“Right…” Cass was eager to keep the conversation away from Rapunzel and Eugene’s shared history, “Well blondie, thanks for the cookies, but you heard the doc! I should really be going to bed…”

“Oh! Of course, sweetheart.” Rapunzel stood and began gathering her things. “I wanted to go check in on Cassandra anyways. She seemed really shaken.”

Cass paused. Rapunzel paying ‘Cassandra’ a visit would only delay their trip to Xavier's. And if Eugene’s earlier performance was any indication, confuse Rapunzel even further.

“You really think she’s that bad? We both know Cass can handle herself…”

“Yes, of course. But with how she’s been acting for the last month or so I don’t want her to feel like I forgot her-”

“How I’ve been acting?” The words tumbled from Cass’ mouth before she could stop them. Rapunzel looked at her, confused.

“Eugene…?” She walked back over to the bed. “I was still talking about Cassandra… You sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Of course!” Cass sputtered. “Of course, that’s- that’s what I mean to say! How _she’s_ been acting - has Cass been acting weird?” Rapunzel looked at her closely for a half a second and then laughed again, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. Cass cursed silently.

“I mean, we were just talking about this yesterday… but yeah! I know something’s definitely been bothering her. She hasn’t been sleeping, and she never wants to be alone with me anymore outside of work.”

Cass noted the genuine worry in Raps’ voice and felt a twinge of guilt for keeping her best friend in the dark. Not that she could have confided in the princess when her sleepless purgatory seemed to revolve around her.

“Well, maybe this is like when she was working to expose that saporian separatist. You thought something was wrong back then, but she was just undercover.” Cass offered.

She didn’t want Rapunzel worried about her, though the part of her that lit up during the kiss was skipping in circles at the thought. Rapunzel was already shaking her head. 

“No, it’s different this time. It’s something I’m doing, I know it. I catch her staring at me all the time. This past week, it’s been pretty much every day. And a few nights ago… Well, I snuck downstairs to her room to see if she was awake and needed some company but when I got to the door, I heard her talking in her sleep. It sounded awful, like some terrible nightmare. The only word I could make out was my name.” 

Rapunzel’s eyes had turned red and small tears fell onto the plate between them. “I just don’t know how to make it better if she won’t _talk_ to me!”

Cass reached her arm around the princess, pulling her in close. She tried to speak but found herself in danger of choking up too. Rapunzel was hurting, _really_ hurting, because of her. She took a deep breath.

“Listen Rapunzel, I know it must be hard to see your friend in pain like that. And obviously Cass likes to play things close to the chest. But trust me, if she knew how much this was affecting you, I’m _sure_ she would want to tell you what’s going on, even if it was hard for her.”

Rapunzel smiled.

“You really mean that?”

“Of course, I do.” Cass returned the smile and gently stroked the back of her head. Nothing felt better than holding Rapunzel in her arms.

“I guess, yesterday when you were talking about Cass’ supposed crush on me, I felt like you just didn’t care. It’s so nice to hear-”

A small pinprick raced down her spine and Cass found herself standing. Her heart was at a drum’s pace and her face was hot. Rapunzel reached for her hands. 

“Woah, is everything-”

“Talking about what?!”

The princess looked bewildered.

“They’re your words, Eugene! You were saying the only reason Cass is so mean to you is because she has a _crush_ on me…” The princess looked away, cheeks slightly flushed. “Which is apparently something girls can have on other girls. But all I’m saying is even if Cass was like that-”

“Well, she’s not!” Cass wanted to throw herself into the ocean. The minute she saw that arrogant, smug little…

“That’s what _I_ said!” Rapunzel was standing now too, frowning. “You clearly aren’t okay. Whatever was in your drink is messing with your memory. We need to get that doctor back in here-”

“No!” Cass shouted. A sticky silence fell over the room. She tried to compose herself. “I mean, blondie, I really just need some sleep. If anything is still strange in the morning I’ll see him then, I promise.”

Rapunzel stayed silent. She gathered her things and walked to the door.

“I’m going to check on Cass. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She was gone without another word.

Cass listened as her footsteps faded away. She wanted to scream and run her sword through Fitzherbert’s stupid chest. She wanted to go after Rapunzel and tell her she was sorry, that she had never meant to make her upset. She wanted to move far away from Corona and never see any of these people ever again. And more than anything, she wanted to sleep. Deep, dreamless, uninterrupted sleep with no Rapunzels to save or laugh with or look at. She glanced towards Eugene’s pillow, which looked more inviting than she ever thought it could. If she could just close her eyes for half an hour, then she could go downstairs and rescue him.

_Eugene._

The self-obsessed jerk sat in her room, in her body, unknowingly awaiting a visit from Rapunzel. And if how badly she had messed up her conversation with the princess was any indication, she’d better get down there as soon as possible. 

Casting one last longing look at the bed, Cassandra rose and walked to the door. 

_Eugene told Rapunzel I have a crush on her._

Waves of hot and cold passed over her. She tried to take steady breaths and calm the constant nausea rolling in her stomach, but the fact remained. Eugene had said those words to the princess. Even if she didn’t believe him now, he was in her body, about to see Rapunzel. She would be sent away by tomorrow if the King ever had reason to think she was...

_He’s wrong._

Cass kept telling herself that over and over as she snuck downstairs towards her bedroom.

_He doesn’t know me or what I’m feeling._

She wanted to believe it so badly, she could almost convince herself it was true. 

-

“And then he couldn’t even _remember_ conversations we had _yesterday!_ _”_

Eugene was perched on the edge of Cassandra’s bed, still suffocating in the lady-in-waiting uniform. 

_I can’t believe she can sword fight while wearing this._

He’d thought about changing into something slightly more comfortable as soon as the doctor left. But when his mind turned to Cassandra finding any evidence at all that he had undressed while in her body, he’d gritted his teeth and stuck with the devil he knew.

“So if you feel strange _at all,_ we should get Malcolm back in here and-” Rapunzel turned and looked at Eugene, her face scrunching up in confusion. “Oh uhm, Cass, you’re still in your dress.”

Eugene looked up sharply, giving her an awkward smile.

“Oh! Yes, well, wouldn’t you know it, blondie - _I mean Raps_ \- this old thing is starting to grow on me!”

Rapunzel’s eyes narrowed.

“Really?”

Eugene nodded ferociously.

“Oh yeah! I think you’re gonna catch me wearing this all the time now! I… love the blue!”

Okay, it wasn’t his best, but he wasn’t exactly known for getting inside Cassandra’s head. He kept trying to find times to be unnecessarily hostile, but being that rude all the time was actually kind of difficult! Maybe he owed the ice lady some more credit. Rapunzel just sighed.

“I guess you both just need some rest, whatever happened really did a number on you.”

She sat down next to him and Eugene’s panic slowed. His girlfriend looked so… defeated. 

“Cass?” She turned to face him, “I know it’s been a long day, and you probably need some space. But I want you to know that if there is _ever_ anything you need to tell me, even something you’re really scared to admit, I will always understand.” 

She looked almost on the brink of tears. Eugene paused. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay, but given the circumstances, he didn’t know if that was true. If he was himself, he could reassure her that he had nothing to hide, that he loved her and would keep loving her until the day he died. But as Cassandra… He was more sure than ever there was something she wasn’t saying.

“Of course, Raps. And uhm, same to you, ya know? I’m, uh, sure we’ll all feel better tomorrow...” Wow, he needed to work on his impressions.

Rapunzel just stayed quiet, before standing up abruptly.

“Well, let me know if you need absolutely anything… I love you, Cass.”

“I love you too, Rapunzel.” 

At least that one came easy to him.

-

For the first time in her life, Cass was grateful for the wide gaps beneath the door that allowed conversations from inside her room to easily fill the halls. She quickly stuffed herself into a nearby linen closet when Rapunzel told 'Cassandra' goodnight. Through the crack, she watched as Rapunzel stepped outside and let out a large sigh. She gazed back towards the door for a few seconds before swiftly making her way down the hall and back upstairs. Cass watched her disappear into the darkness and slowly crept back out. 

_He kept his mouth shut._

The relief she felt at Eugene's silence did little to calm her anger at his earlier betrayal. She knocked and opened her door at the same time, watching herself jump as she strode into the room. 

“Good lord, Cass! A little warning next time?” She rolled her eyes and grabbed Eugene's arm.

“Come on, my _lady_ , we should get moving. We'll have to wake Xavier up, it’s almost midnight.” 

“Definitely _not_ your lady!” He shook himself free. “And hold on! Now, remind me again why we aren’t just telling Rapunzel what happened?”

Cass felt a sinking in her chest. If Raps knew it was her who acted like that in Eugene’s room… Or that she had kissed her so intensely...

“Because she doesn’t need to know, okay? We can handle this ourselves, without any further humiliation!” 

“Maybe…” Eugene looked unconvinced, “But, have you thought about what we’re going to do if that blacksmith _didn’t_ inflict this nightmare upon us?” 

Cass folded her arms across her chest. 

“It’s the best lead we’ve got, Fitzeherbert. Xavier knew about the mood swap, he’ll know about this too. And I don’t know about you, but I’d like to _not_ be you as soon as possible.”

Eugene still seemed suspicious but apparently couldn’t come up with anything better to do. 

“Fine, but if he comes up blank, I’m going straight to Rapunzel.”

“Fine.”

They both helped Eugene into something less uncomfortable (“ _Keep those eyes_ closed _Fitzhebert…” Cass growled)_ and started sneaking towards the castle’s exit. At this point, they knew the secret passages more or less by heart. The companions made their way outside in silence. 

“So… any thoughts on the Fitzherbert experience?” Eugene lobbed out. “I mean, the hair puff is pretty excellent, you can’t deny… And how’s the superior height?”

Cass just stayed quiet. Eugene tried again.

“Because, let me tell you Cass _and_ ra, this body of yours is in rough condition! You gotta get acquainted with a pillow and a comforter. And your skin! Dragon lady or not, I have _got_ to get you some half-decent moisturizer.” 

She shot him a glare.

“What, Cass? You know, you can insult me too, if you like! You certainly have better insight than anyone else in the world at this point.”

“I’m not really in the mood.” Her eyes were back on the road in front of them. Eugene looked up at her, his face folding in worry.

“Not in the mood to insult me? Are you sure it’s really Cass in there?” He laughed expectantly, looking for a stinging rebuke or at least an eye roll from his body but it seemed like she’d barely heard him. He stuck his hands in his pockets and sighed.

“Wow, being me is that bad, huh?”

“She told me what you said about me.”

The sentence hung in the air. She still kept her face forward, but Eugene could see blood rushing to her cheeks.

“What I said?”

“Yesterday. She said Eugenehad told her that the only reason Cassandra was is bent out of shape these days is because the lady-in-waiting is in love with her lady.”

Eugene swallowed. 

“Oh, uhm, did I say that? I barely even remember-”

Her face whipped around, contorted with fear and rage. 

“Can it, Eugene!” She kept her voice level but the icy force behind it came through. “Do you have any idea what could happen to me if Rapunzel had believed you? If she had told her father? Or worse, _my_ father?”

“Cass I know-”

“No, you don’t!” She was picking up steam now. “Because you don’t have any idea what it’s like to be me. How hard I’ve had to work for the _scraps_ I’ve been given. And how easy it would be for all of that to disappear on _your word_.”

It was completely silent in the small hallway they stood in, an eerie green light illuminating Cassandra inside his body. Eugene knew they were only a few feet from the exit onto Corona’s streets, but she blocked the door. She looked at him, daring him to try and defend himself, to tell her it wasn’t true. Eugene tried to stammer his way towards an apology, but Cass just rolled her eyes.

“Save it, okay?” She turned and opened the door, a cool breeze squeezing its way through the frame. “It’s late enough as it is.”

“Cass, I’m sorry.” He watched himself sigh and motion towards the door.

“Eugene, just… let’s just go.”

-

No one answered their desperate knocking for ten minutes. Xavier appeared only after Eugene began throwing rocks at the windows above the forge. They heard shuffling and wood groaning, and finally, the older man slowly opened the door, blinking heavily in the dark. He did not look happy to see them.

“Mister Fitzherbert and Lady Cassandra. It is always a pleasure to have you in my forge, but it’s the middle of the night-”

“Xavier,” Eugene stopped him, “we don’t know _what_ we did this time, but whatever lesson we were supposed to learn, I think we got the jist. So can we please get some kind of antidote now?”

Xavier just stared at him, bewildered. 

“Lesson?” He sleepily rubbed his bald head, “What do you mean, Cassandra?”

They winced at the misplaced name. Cass saw her shaky plan falling apart.

“No, no, no,” she said, “Xavier, please tell me you know who’s really who?” 

He just continued shifting his eyes back and forth between the two of them, as if he expected them both to break any second.

“I’m afraid I do not follow.”

Cass groaned and turned around. Eugene grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.

“Wait, Cass!” He turned back to Xavier. “Listen, we’ve got a situation on our hands, something we thought might be up your alley? We were wondering if you could help us out.” The blacksmith opened the door behind him, concern growing on his face.

“What’s happened to you? Is Princess Rapunzel okay?” 

Eugene smiled weakly. 

“Oh, she’s fine… I know it might not look it, but actually, _we’re_ the problem.”

-

“And no one else knows?”

Xavier paced the length of his dimly lit forge, intently combing through the mess of books and parchment that were spread throughout the stone room. Cass sat at his workbench. Dread was biting at the back of her mind, but she tried to stay hopeful. While he hadn’t done this to them, the older man was incredibly knowledgeable about these kinds of… experiences. Surely he could muster up a solution, or at least a next step.

“No one. After last week’s… adventure, we thought you might have an idea of what we should do.” Eugene answered. “ _Some_ of us really want this to stay a secret.” 

He shot her a look, fidgeting with her tunic. Cass shifted uncomfortably. She’d been Eugene for a few hours now and was desperate to be back to her normal self. Her balance was completely off, she doubted she’d even know how to hold a sword in this body. And his cologne was giving her a headache. 

Xavier sighed and turned back to them.

“I am sorry, my friends. While I did give Pascal the mood tonic, I am no master of potion brewing. And I have _never_ heard of one so powerful. To enhance or depress someone’s personality is one thing, but to actually exchange their consciousness for another… Whoever created this is dangerous indeed.” He looked into the fire, his brows knitted in worry.

Cass felt the air suck out of her lungs. She crossed towards him, pleading, 

“Please, Xavier, you don’t have any ideas? We don’t have anyone else to go to!” 

He turned to her, shaking his head.

“I am sorry, Cassandra. Many of the potions known to me are merely temporary effects with natural remedies - if whatever you took is like those, then perhaps it is possible you will return to your real body within a day. But I do not know for sure.”

The absolute terror she had been ignoring all evening rose up in her throat. Xavier had no idea what to do. She really was stuck, with no other leads or people to talk to. She’d put everything on him having the solution. Eugene joined her at the blacksmith’s side, her pale skin looking even whiter than normal. 

“But what if we don’t? We can’t just go on living as each other forever!”

Xavier nodded solemnly and a few seconds passed before he spoke again.

“With some time, I could try to get more information about this elixir. I know a man in Old Corona who once spoke of potions with power as great as this. But I will warn you, with enough time, all potions fizzle out. Whether they revert you to your original state or leave you changed forever depends on the brewer.”

Cass and Eugene exchanged horrified glances. 

“So what do we do now?” 

The blacksmith broke into an apologetic smile.

“Now, I might recommend telling Rapunzel… After we all get some sleep.”

-

Cass barely remembered the rest of their evening. She and Eugene had marched quickly back to the castle, their only exchange of words being Cass begging Eugene to give her a little more time before he told the princess about their current condition. He seemed to agree only out of pure exhaustion and they’d gone their separate ways. 

While part of her wanted to start scouring the library for any books on potion making, she knew Xavier was right. She felt completely undone by the day, enough to make Eugene’s bed look absolutely inviting. She thought about changing out of his dinner outfit but couldn’t bear to see any more of his body then she already had. Save that for the morning.

_Maybe by then it will all have worn off._

Xavier hadn’t seemed to think so. But it had to be possible, if this was a potion like the others they had encountered. The feeble case for hope felt as useless.

Climbing into the bed, she extinguished the lights and checked the clock. Only a few hours separated her from the dawn, and Cassandra prayed she wouldn’t spend them conscious.

  
  
  


She woke up in her own bed, bright sunlight pouring in through her window. She blinked rapidly in the piercing sun before taking stock of her surroundings. 

_This is my room._

She let out a huge sigh of relief as she tore the covers off to reveal her own body, still wearing her tunic and pants from their excursion last night. Running her hands over the familiar terrain of her skin, she felt like she could cry. This nightmare was over and she had managed to get some much-needed sleep. Whatever this potion was, it must have worn off in the night. 

“Feeling better?”

Cass nearly fell out of the bed. Rapunzel let out a snort and walked in from the doorframe she’d been standing in. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” Her blonde hair looked absolutely radiant in the light, and her expression was soft and kind. She sat down on the bed, taking Cass’ hand in her own, squeezing it gently. Cass felt her heart lurch. 

_What is she doing here?_

“I know it’s early, but I wanted to come and check on you again. After what happened last night, I didn’t want to be away too long.” She was rubbing her hands now, light circles moving in and out, gentle touches transforming to gut punches as they traversed Cass’ nervous system. She stuttered.

“Oh, uhm, well - I’m feeling a lot better this morning, whatever happened must have worn off-”

“I’m not talking about that, Cassandra.” The princess moved in closer towards her, now only inches away from Cass’ face. “After we talked last night, I realized how stupid we’ve been. How stupid _I’ve_ been.”

The hand that wasn’t gripped around Cassandra’s was now cupping her cheek. Cass’ face hung open in shock. She tried to respond but her mind couldn't keep up with what was unfolding before her.

“Spending so much time with that _buffoon_...” the princess slowly leaned her head towards her, her voice quieting to a whisper, “when all I ever wanted, ever _needed,_ was right here.” 

And Rapunzel’s lips gently collided with her own. Every bit of sense she possessed screamed at Cass to pull away, to consider the consequences. But she could do nothing but give in. She leapt into the kiss, warm bliss crashing over her exhausted body. The touch of Rapunzel’s lips was electric, all she wanted was more. She leaning in, hungrily running her hands across the princess’ soft cheeks.

They slowly broke apart, breathing heavily. Cass' vision was blurry, and she realized she was crying. She wanted to capture the image, hold tight to the feeling of those beautiful lips against her own. This moment could spin out in infinity.

“And this is what you’ve always wanted?”

Rapunzel was starring at her with a loving smile. Cass’ wiped her eyes with her sleeve, nodding shyly after a few seconds.

“I can’t believe you.”

Cass looked up to see Rapuznel’s face had twisted up in an incredulous look. It was an unfamiliar expression, almost what she would call disgust. 

“I knew you were mean, Cassandra,” The princess gripped her hand even tighter now. “That was always obvious. I knew that you love to watch the people around you hurt.” 

Cass tried again to speak but everything she thought to say died in her throat. Rapunzel’s grip on Cass’ hand was so tight, it started to hurt. She continued,

“But I couldn’t believe Eugene was telling the truth about you.” 

Her mind was spinning. She tried to wriggle out of her grip, but the princess was immovably strong. 

“Rapunzel, it’s not-”

“You really are a _freak_.” 

Cass’ mouth fell open. She wanted to say something. Anything that could convince Rapunzel that it wasn’t true, that he was wrong about her. Nothing came out. Rapunzel’s face broke into a mocking smile.

“And to think; I let you in my bed. I let you dress me, _bathe_ me.” 

“N- n- no!” Cass stammered, trying to stand. “No, Rapunzel, it was never like that, I promise!”

Rapunzel started laughing, a cruel pitter that sounded nothing like the princess. “Oh I’m sure it was _exactly_ like that. I’m sure you _loved_ _every second._

She pulled her hands away from Cassandra and stood in one sharp motion. Turning, she called out,

"Guards!” 

They began pouring into the room. Men she had known all her life stared at her like she was some kind of animal. They jostled her to her feet. Cass couldn’t bring herself to struggle against their grip, keeping her eyes locked on Rapunzel’s face. She smirked at Cassandra.

“Come along, Captain. I think we have a perfect place in the dungeon for _things_ like _her_.”

Cass looked up at the man holding her, gasping at seeing her father’s face. It was folded up in shame, tears pouring from his eyes. She let out a soft whimper.

" _Dad?”_

He started dragging her towards the door. Through a mess of sobs, he shook his head.

“You are _not_ my daughter.”

Tears streamed down her face as her bedroom door grew distant. Cass began to wail, thrashing against his grip. She watched her father raise his hand above her and with a quick blow to the cheek, she was awake.

  
  
  


The first thing she noticed was the weight of her body. Without looking she knew she was still trapped in Eugene’s larger form, confirming it with a quick look around the room. She stood quietly. The sheets were soaked with sweat, and the heavy clothes she’d worn to sleep felt clammy and constricting against her skin. She stumbled to Eugene’s dresser, stripping quickly down to her underwear and replacing the damp clothing for a light nightshirt.

She glanced towards the clock. Only an hour had passed since she’d arrived in this room and gone to sleep. She turned back towards the bed and stripped the sheets. Lying back down on the exposed mattress, the sick feeling percolating in her stomach spread to the farthest reaches of her body. 

She’d never had one that bad before. Sure, the fear of losing Rapunzel was always there, but it was mostly in the form of some natural disaster or villain to defeat. And these moments of closeness had also come up, often escalating to holding hands or one another. But they’d never kissed. And certainly never… like that. Cass felt humiliated. How could she get mad at Eugene for thinking she was in love with Rapunzel when her own subconscious seemed determined to agree with him.

And then there was the rest of her nightmare. Cass’ felt a chill run through her as she thought of Rapunzel’s face after they had pulled apart. 

_You really are a freak._

Ugly tears were falling now. She knew Rapunzel would never say those horrible things to her. No matter how scared she was of how the princess might react, she knew her friend. That kind of cruelty was impossible from her. 

But despite all that, Cass couldn’t help but think the Rapunzel from her dream was right. She was a freak. And it was almost worse that Rapunzel would never tell her, never hurt her directly. She would probably just send Cass as far away as possible, get a new lady-in-waiting, and occasionally look back with pity for the sad handmaiden who’d fallen in love with her.

She glanced at the clock, sniffling. Hours remained until dawn. Morning would come eventually but then what? Cass had no plan, no remedy for this unknown potion. She couldn’t possibly convince Eugene to hold off on telling Rapunzel any longer. 

Sleep was impossible now. Until these dreams stopped, she wouldn’t even try. She wouldn’t let herself feel like that again.

-

Rapunzel was determined to figure this whole thing out. Her favorite people in the world had been in serious danger last night. She knew the only reason someone would target the two of them on the same night was to get to her. Therefore, it was her responsibility to find the person who had done this to them.

She had come by Eugene’s room early in the morning, ready to wake the sleeping bear, only to find him already dressed and awake.

“Oh Eugene! You’re up early.”

He’d merely shrugged and followed her downstairs. After gathering Cassandra (passed out cold) and ushering her two closest friends back to her bedroom, the princess had begun to explain her various theories on what had happened, complete with visual aid. She'd thought her initial idea of going down to the forge and talking to Xavier was a pretty stellar start, but when conveyed to Eugene and Cassandra, it elicited merely a knowing glance and quiet dismissal of the idea. 

“Well, I guess to me the hardest thing to figure out is what they wanted out of this,” Rapunzel continued pacing the room as Cass and Eugene sat in front of her. “I mean, if they’d wanted to distract us, that didn’t work, you were both only out for about a minute. If they’d wanted to hurt you, that didn’t work either, cause you’re both completely fine! ”

She looked back at the two of them, “And you _are_ both completely fine, right?”

Eugene shot back immediately, “Yep! All good here! Right?” He forcefully nudged Cassandra, who gave a short nod. She looked about ready to draw her sword on him but that wasn’t so unusual for their mornings together. Rapunzel turned back to her pages of notes.

“Okay! Well, if Xavier is out, maybe we could head down to the Snuggly Duckling? See if any of those guys have heard about something coming to Corona and - uhm, guys?”

She stopped short after looking back at her two companions. A silent argument was taking place between them. Eugene was shooting withering glares at Cassandra, who was only getting more exasperated until… 

“Okay, you know what? I’m _done_!” Her lady in waiting stood up, awkwardly stepping on her dress and nearly falling. She groaned loudly. “How do you two _move_ in these things?”

Rapunzel rushed to her side. “Cass? What’s going on, are you okay?”

“You know, blondie? _No!_ I’m _not_ okay.” She had a wild look in her eye. “I’m about as far away from okay as I could possibly get.” Eugene stood up and grabbed her shoulder.

“Calm down, _Cassandra_ ,” he hissed, in the most un-Eugene way, “we’re both doing much better, remember?” 

She batted his arm away. 

“Don’t you _dare_ call me that name one more time.” She squared on Rapunzel’s boyfriend. “If anyone calls me Cass _and_ ra again, I swear to-”

The princess’ bedroom door slammed open. Crowley stood beyond the frame, holding a small basket of linens. She looked unimpressed by the scene, and quickly barked at Cassandra.

“You’re _late_. You think this washing will get done by itself?”

Rapunzel was shocked. It was so unlike Cass to not be on top of her duties, despite her distaste for the job. Crowley’s interruption only seemed to make her madder. She stamped her feet like a toddler.

“ _Ohhh no!_ Not this! I’ve had to do a lot of things since last night but I’m _not_ doing your job for you!” For some reason, she was looking at… Eugene. And what was even stranger, he didn’t seem confused at all. He gave her a disdainful look.

“Oh please. It’s _one day._ You can’t handle _one day_ of my schedule?”

“No! What I can’t handle is being _you_ while _doing_ it!”

Their fighting continued to escalate as Rapunzel only grew more bewildered. She could barely parse out the meaning of the sentences flying back and forth. Crowley slowly backed out of the room, also sporting a look of confusion.

“I’ll… I’ll see if Friedborg can cover for you.” And she disappeared back into the castle. Neither Cass or Eugene acknowledged her departure, being so engaged in whatever they were fighting about.

“Guys…?” Rapunzel threw out nervously. No response.

“...And if you weren’t so _scared_ of any actual work-”

“Oh, _I’m_ the one who’s scared? You’re _terrified_ of her finding out!”

“Guys!” she yelled, walking up to them. 

Neither head turned. They were really upset about… something. Rapunzel could not understand what it was. The events of the past twelve hours ran through her mind. Despite their reassurances that everything was fine, they hadn’t been themselves since that moment. Rapunzel’s eyes widened.

_Maybe whatever the spiked drink was supposed to do to them hadn’t failed at all._

Her blood ran cold. Whoever _they_ were, they just kept yelling at each other, completely unaware of Rapunzel’s dawning horror. She considered her limited options before carefully maneuvering her powerful mane around the room as quietly as possible. 

She threw her hair up through the rafters and delicately ensnared their feet in the blonde rope. She looked back at the two people claiming to be her closest friends. Their shouting had only intensified. Taking a deep breath, she pulled down on her hair _hard_.

That got their attention. Two screams ricocheted off the walls of her bedroom and she was now looking at the two imposters swinging upside down in the air. They fell into shocked silence.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on here.” Rapunzel tied off the length of hair to her bedpost, securing the two in place, “but you are _not_ Cassandra.” 

She gestured to her lady in waiting, whose mouth hung open. She then grabbed her frying pan from its holder and turned on her boyfriend.

“And _you_ are _not_ Eugene.”

-

The princess held her frying pan at eye level. Cass felt the blood rushing to her head.

“ _Well_?!” Rapunzel stared her down, making excellent use of her game face. Cass tried to make eye contact with Eugene but the swinging motion from being yanked into the air hadn’t yet subsided.

Rapunzel sighed and raised her weapon behind her head. “I know I might seem friendly, but I am _not_ afraid to use this thing.” 

“Blondie, _wait!_ ” Eugene called out from somewhere to her right. “Okay, okay, you caught us! Yes, we’ve both been acting weird but whatever you think is going on, I promise it’s not that!”

“What _is_ going on then?!”

“Well…” Eugene paused, sounding to Cass like he was struggling with exactly how to describe their current situation. ”Okay, I know this is gonna sound crazy… but given the way things tend to go with us, you should be used to that by now. Last night, whatever they put in our drinks stuck me and Cass in each other’s bodies.”

Silence. Rapunzel slowly moved the frying pan away from Cassandra and pointed it at Eugene.

“That’s very interesting because my _friends_ would have told me the minute something like that happened! Who are you really?” 

“Look, I’m serious! While my current exterior might be _very_ ‘dragon lady’ around the edges, the inside is one hundred percent genuine Fitzherbert.”

The princess let out a small giggle.

“Okay, I can honestly say that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You know, the admittedly ripe humor in the situation really wears off after twenty minutes or so inside Cass’ dress!”

Cass heard a _clink_ as Rapunzel slowly put down her frying pan.

“You're... Eugene?”

“It’s me, blondie. Don’t hold me accountable for this current look, I don’t think she even has a hair care routine.” 

“And… Cassandra?” Rapunzel had crossed back to Cass. She lightly touched her face, eerily reminiscent of her most recent nightmare. Cass slowly nodded, avoiding the princess’ eyes as they widened in shock.

“And this all happened after you passed out?” Cass nodded again. Rapunzel gaped.

“Why didn’t you tell me right away?”

The princess’ shock was quickly turning to hurt as she slowly lowered her two friends back to the ground. Eugene shuffled to his feet, groaning.

“Great question! I myself have been wondering that all day, but you'd have to ask _that_ current gentleman!” He shot daggers in her direction.

Cass was on her knees, eyes closed as the head rush faded. Rapunzel joined her on the ground.

“Cass? Why didn’t you want to tell me?” 

Seconds ticked by.

“You had no reason to know.” Cass finally rattled off. “You had other things on your plate and Eugene and I were _trying_ ,” she shot another angry look at the oaf inside of her body, “to handle this ourselves.” 

“Uhm, I wanted to tell Rapunzel _immediately_.” 

“So everything that's happened since then,” Rapunzel was slowly putting the pieces together. “Everything I thought I was saying to Eugene, I actually said to Cass...”

“That is the situation, sweetheart. Oh, and we have _no idea_ how to swap back. We went down to the forge last night...”

Cass finally brought herself to lock eyes with the princess. As Eugene prattled on about Xavier and their late night visit, Rapunzel was looking at her curiously, her head slightly upturned. Cass realized with horror what she must be thinking about. If everything Eugene had done since last night had actually been Cassandra…

“Cass?” Rapunzel gently interrupted her boyfriend, “You were the one who kissed me last night?”

It was not an accusation, but a question. Rapunzel was impossible to read, her face offering only open curiosity. Panic was bubbling up in Cass’ throat as she thought of the most diplomatic answer.

“Raps… it was - I was just trying to - I didn’t want you to worry about us,” she offered weakly. “You seemed so hurt when 'Eugene _’_ wouldn’t kiss you and I didn’t want you to get upset-”

“Woah, woah, woah…” Eugene crossed in between the two of them. “What was that about kissing?”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

“Cass, did you kiss my girlfriend?”

She let out a shaky breath.

“Eugene, it’s not what it sounds like-”

“Because that’s the kind of thing I’m pretty not okay with, magic potions or not.”

“Of- of course,” she stammered, “I didn’t mean to-” 

But Eugene was already shaking his head. He let out an incredulous laugh.

“Wow. First you kiss Rapunzel, and then you have the nerve to get mad at _me_ for what I told her?” 

“What you told me?” Rapunzel’s face was a mask, and still squarely focused on Cassandra. 

All the pieces Cass had been desperately holding in place since yesterday, since last _month,_ were falling apart at the same time. Her eyes moved beyond them to the door. She knew how badly it would make her look, but she needed to get out of this room. 

“Cass, what were you mad about?”

“I- I think I’m gonna be sick.”

She quickly stole past their shocked faces, and slipped through the door. Being much more experienced with the layout of the palace than her two friends, Cass was able to lose them easily, despite their calls and footsteps echoing through the hallways. She made her way to her own room and shut the door quietly. They would find her soon, given that she was currently in the most obvious hiding spot in the castle. 

_Now would be an incredible time to come up with a plan._

If she was in her own body right now, she would begin packing immediately. Sneaking Rapunzel out was one thing but as soon as the king found out what she’d done, her life in Corona would be over. She had to be across the bridge in under an hour.

Except she couldn’t do that. 

Shame rose up from her stomach. She couldn’t run or she’d be stuck as Eugene forever. She couldn’t stay or she’d be publicly humiliated by everyone she'd ever cared about. Or worse, thrown in the dungeon and left to rot. Cass sunk onto the floor. She was completely out of options.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst jumped out. But Cass will be okay, right?
> 
> -
> 
> Will have the third and final chapter out by next weekend. So much thanks to everyone who commented/left kudos.


	3. She Were Better Love A Dream

It was early morning by the time Varian had hobbled back to Old Corona. The exhaustion weighed him down, kept him from thinking of anything but continual motion. He slunk in through one of the many holes in the wooden exterior of his home, and clammered towards his work bench. Too tired to be hopeful, he scanned the room for any sign that Ruddiger had been here in his body. But his things sat undisturbed, the copper pot still glinting in the early morning sun from the same place he had left it over a day ago.

_Twenty-four hours._

That’s how long the failsafe should have given him. It was well past a full day now, and he _should_ be back in his own body. He should be making his move on the princess, ready to save his father’s life. 

Instead he was trapped in the worst predicament of his life. No materials to make a new potion, and nobody to give it to if he could. Stuck couldn’t begin to cover it. Like everything else he’d ever tried; a colossal failure.

His mind flashed to Cassandra and Eugene. The one part of his plan that had gone as he’d expected pinched him with guilt. Had he trapped the two of them as each other forever? Had his incompetence undone their lives too?

He couldn’t think of anyone less happy to wake up as each other than Rapunzel’s closest friends, which, of course, had been the intention. The chaos it would create giving him enough time to steal the princess away without anyone noticing. Now, he’d sentenced Cassie to life as her least favorite person. And his father would never escape.

Varian felt dizzy. The length of his journey and the weight of his guilt pulled him to the ground. He closed his eyes, the need for sleep calling out to his small form, encasing him in an iron-like grip.

_Rapunzel._

As his mind gave way to the hold of sleep, it spat forth one last thought. The princess’ face burned in his mind.

_This is all her fault._

-

A gentle knock at the door broke through her dizzy panic.

“...Cassandra?”

The princess’ soft voice cleaved through her heart. Cass swallowed and sat up. Of course they’d check her room first. She might as well have gone to the king himself.

_Hello your majesty! Just to let you know, I tricked your daughter into kissing me last night! Please send me to the convent of your choosing!_

“Cass? Are you in there? I- I just want to talk…”

_Stupid, stupid…_

She sighed. Not knowing what else she _could_ do, she stood slowly and stumbled to the door. Checking the shadows underneath the gap, relief washed over her. The princess was alone. Steadying her breath as an attempt at composure, she opened the door.

Rapunzel looked like a mess. Her face was torn up with worry and her hands were knotted. Her blonde hair, normally delicately braided, had been tied up haphazardly, presumably a rushed job after Cass had fled the room. Her bare feet rocked from side to side, arches tensed. 

She was trying to speak but seemed unable to commit to a strategy. Opening and closing her mouth a few times, she finally settled for courtesy.

“Can I come in?”

Cass appreciated the question. It raised the option of saying no, slamming the door in the future queen’s face, and hiding in her armory. Instead, she gave a stiff nod and walked back to her bed. Rapunzel followed tepidly, stopping short of her side. 

A stilted silence filled the room and sat heavy. Cass studied the fabric pattern of her sheets, unable to meet Rapunzel’s gaze. A long minute ticked by, until she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where’s Eugene?” she said, not looking up.

Rapunzel flashed a cheeky smile.

“Don’t you mean Cassandra?”

Cass didn’t laugh. Rapunzel’s smile dropped and she took a few steps forward, reaching out her hand before hesitating and pulling it back to her side.

“He’s upset, Cass,” she finally answered, “he wanted us both to come down here but I asked him to give us some time to talk first. He went back to Xavier’s to see if he’d found anything else.”

Cass nodded again. Eugene was mad, because of course he was. He had just been handed proof of all his worst suspicions about Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting. All the sarcastic banter, biting remarks, any attempt to undercut him was now prized evidence in his case to get rid of her. He was probably furious. 

_Or thrilled._

“I think he’ll feel better after he cools off. And, after we figure out how to get you two back to normal. He’s scared,” Rapunzel smiled gently, “he _really_ misses being himself. That probably doesn’t surprise you.”

Cass found herself grinning before the guilt hit again. 

“Rapunzel, I-” she hesitated, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I lied to you. Eugene was right, this is all my fault. I didn't let him tell you what was going on.”

Rapunzel’s smile faded, her face folding up in thought, tension building in her small frame. Cass’ anxiety bubbled inside her. 

_Here it comes._

“What is it, Rapunzel?”

The princess stared at her, before sighing and unclenching her hands.

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

Cass raised an eyebrow. Not the question she thought the princess was stuck on. Turning it over in her mind, she finally decided that at this point, some honesty couldn’t hurt.

“No, I guess I didn’t,” she paused, “I- I haven’t been sleeping well at all recently.”

“What do you mean?”

Cass sighed sheepishly, “I mean, I _haven’t_ been sleeping… at all.”

“What?” Rapunzel rushed to her side. “Cass, how long has this been going on?”

She braced herself for the onslaught of worry. “About a month or so...”

“A month? You haven’t been sleeping for a month?”

She let go of any attempts to underplay her exhaustion; just nodding and allowing Rapunzel to take her hand.

“Cass, that’s terrible for you. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know…”

Cass stared down at their interlaced hands, momentarily distracted by the touch. How easily Eugene’s hands fit into the princess’ - how natural it felt. Rapunzel’s expression softened.

“Does it… does it have to do with the nightmares you’ve been having?”

What was Rapunzel doing? She’d expected her to demand answers about her underlying intentions, why she’d kept the bodyswap from her, and about… the kiss. Now they were just talking about Cassandra. And her sleeping problems.

“...yes... but Raps, it’s really nothing you need to worry about.”

“Yes, it is!” She was indignant. “I told you - or, well, I thought it was Eugene - but I told _you_ that I overheard you talking in your sleep! You were Cassandra-Eugene at the time,” she paused, momentarily distracted, “or would it be Eugene-Cassandra…?”

“Okay, yes! ‘ _Dream_ you’ is involved with the nightmares but that doesn’t mean the _real_ you has to be.”

“Why not? If _‘dream_ me’ is doing something bad, maybe I can stop it from out here!”

“‘Dream you’ isn’t doing anything _bad,_ it’s just-”

“Then what _am_ I doing?”

“Raps...” Cass let out a frustrated sigh and her eyes drifted back to Rapunzel’s face. The princess looked so earnest, so eager to help, to _fix_ her. 

“Look, Rapunzel… I’m supposed to protect you. _I know! I know,_ ” she said, silencing Rapunzel’s protests, “I _know_ you can protect yourself. I know I’m just your lady-in-waiting, but it doesn’t matter. If anything bad ever happened to you - it would be my fault. And I would never forgive myself.”

Rapunzel chewed her lip but stayed quiet, so Cass quickly continued.

“I think… I think because all of these crazy things keep happening to us,” she quickly gestured down, “including… this, my mind can’t turn it off at night. Even when I know you’re safe in your bed, my dreams cook up new horrible ways for you to get hurt, or lost, or _worse._ ” She took a deep breath, trying to keep her mind away from that place, “So, I guess… I’d rather stay awake... than have to lose you over and over again.”

Cass knew it wasn’t the whole story, specifically leaving out the other side of her dreams, where it wasn’t _Rapunzel_ in danger. But the princess seemed to understand, looking back at her with a sympathetic frown.

“That sounds awful,” she said softly.

Cass shrugged, “It hasn’t been a walk in the park.” 

A subtle smile flashed across the princess’ face. “It’s also kind of sweet.”

Blood rushed to Cass’ cheeks. She coughed and her eyes returned to the linen pattern on her bed. Rapunzel wasn’t paying close attention, thankfully, her eyes lighting up.

“Hey… if you’re having these nightmares because you’re scared something bad is going to happen to me… Maybe you should just come sleep in my room!”

Now it was Cass’ turn to look worried.

“Rapunzel, I _really_ don’t think that’s a good idea-"

“It’ll be _fun!_ Like a sleepover!” She was picking up steam now, her enthusiastic chirping already more than Cass could hope to slow. “You know, I’ve never really had one before… and then if you start having nightmares, I can wake you up and you’ll be able to see that I’m completely safe. We could do it tonight!”

She stopped short and looked at Cass apologetically, “Well, maybe not tonight… My parents probably wouldn’t be very happy about _Eugene_ sleeping in my bed.” Her face clouded over. “Oh my gosh, Eugene! Do you think he’s back from Xavier’s yet? He was in the worst mood after you left, maybe we should-”

“If my mood is bad, it’s being the dragon lady rubbing off on me!”

It would never feel any less weird to watch her own body saunter into the room. Cass swallowed hard and turned her eyes to the floor. If Eugene got back to the palace so quickly, there’s no way Xavier had what they were looking for. Rapunzel stood hopefully.

“Any luck?”

“To be honest, I didn’t quite make it to Xavier’s...”

Cass turned her head in surprise. Rapunzel started to ask what had happened but Eugene dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“Just… follow me. There’s something you both need to see.”

Without another word he had turned and was out the door. Cass exchanged a confused look with Rapunzel before hurrying after herself. 

_Maybe all the time he’s spending as me_ is _rubbing off…_ she thought as they struggled to keep up with Eugene’s brisk pace. He led them through the narrow hallways that made up the lower floors of the palace, exchanging nods with the guards and turning away quickly from a passageway from which the gruff voice of Mrs. Crowley rumbled through.

“No linens today…” Cass muttered as they finally broke onto the open green of Corona proper. Looking around, she realized where Eugene was taking them. 

“The stables? Are we going far?” she asked him.

Eugene’s face was grim. “Not exactly.”

He led them to the entrance. Cass’ mind returned to the last time her and Eugene had been in this stable together. She shook the thought away, and was about to slide the door open before Eugene stepped in front her.

“Now before I show this to you,” he said, frantic, “just… don’t freak out? I don’t want to scare him…”

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Rapunzel’s baffled expression. Eugene nodded and wrenched the stable doors open. Rapunzel let out a scream before clamping her hands over her mouth. Cass’ just gaped.

Varian was tied up in the middle of the barn. A makeshift gag kept him from speaking, but even so, she doubted his ability to communicate calmly. His eyes were wild, spit dribbling from either side of his mouth in an awful, foaming mess. His clothes were torn and filthy - she could smell him from across the room. Fresh, red scratches ran up and down his arms, like he’d been tearing at his own skin. As they stared at him from across the stables, he let out a muffled hiss and rolled on the dirt floor, desperately straining against the rope tying him down.

“V- _Varian?”_ Rapunzel took a hesitant step inside, “What’s _going on?_ Are you alright?”

He let out a loud bark, sending the princess back out the door into Cass’ grip. Tucking the three of them inside, Cass put her arm around Rapunzel and turned to Eugene, eyes wide.

“What’s going on, Fitzherbert?”

He sighed. “I don’t really know. I’d barely made it to town when I saw him. A couple of guards had him in cuffs, but he was already… like this. Struggling, bitting, and barking like an animal. I talked them into letting him come with me, saying we knew him and it must be something involving alchemy. I admit, Cass _and_ ra,” giving her a reluctant smile, “I was glad to be you at the time. You gotta start teaching me some of your exercises, ‘cause I handled him pretty easily back to the stables, tied him up, and came to get you two.”

Cass returned the smile despite the circumstances. Maybe he wasn’t so mad at her after all. Rapunzel kept looking at Varian in horror.

“What… what happened to him?”

“That… I have no idea.” Eugene admitted, plopping himself down on a bale of hay. “I just thought it was too much of a coincidence to see him in town acting like… well, obviously _not_ himself! I mean, wasn’t the last time you saw him during the snowstorm?”

Cass nodded aimlessly, remembering. He’d been so frightened and upset in that moment, begging Rapunzel to go out into the worst blizzard in a century to help his father. Sheepishly, she realized in all the chaos of the past month, they still hadn’t been out to Old Corona to see what was wrong. Now, he shows up in Corona proper but this… wasn’t _Varian_. It reminded her more of some wild animal, caught in a trap.

“Do- do you think whatever happened to him will happen to you too?” Rapunzel was shaking with worry, the excess panic of the day catching up to her. “Oh god, is this gonna happen all over the kingdom? What are we going to tell my _dad_?!”

Cass caught a glimpse of something in Varian’s jacket, a glint of sunlight bouncing off glass as he thrashed on the dirt floor. Her eyes widening, she took a few cautious steps. 

Eugene grabbed her wrist, holding her back. “Woahhh there, Flynn Rider, I know I got him up here but the kid’s dangerous. I’m not letting _you_ mess up my perfect face.”

“He’s got something on him,” she shook off his grip and continued to creep towards Varian, “something in his jacket. Maybe it has to do with how he ended up like this.”

As she drew near, Varian stopped struggling and glanced intently up at her with something close to recognition. She gently removed his jacket, her eyes welling up at the smell radiating from it. Quickly stepping away, she turned out the pockets and began fervently combing through the lining. Rapunzel and Eugene slid up behind her as she pulled out two small glass tubes, one bright green and the other a dark blue. She held them up triumphantly, reading aloud the note haphazardly pinned to the cork. 

“Mind swap!” She grinned at her two partners. “Look at this; one says mind swap, and the other says truth serum!”

“ _What_?” Eugene grabbed the bottle from her, intently studying the small pin. “Holy… I guess Varian graduated up from sticky goo…” He began uncorking the bottle, almost getting it open before Rapunzel’s hands shot forward and grabbed it. Cass turned, clocking her pale face and shaking hands.

“Eugene, what are you doing?” Rapunzel said, her voice quaking, “This stuff could be _dangerous_ , and we have _no_ idea what it does-”

“What do you mean, we don’t know?” he turned on her, disgruntled, “It says what it does right there at the top - _mind swap!”_

He grabbed the bottle back and gestured to Cass, “ _We’ve_ been through hell the past twelve hours. Varian showing up out of his head with _this_ in his pocket is enough evidence for me.”

“But what if _that_ is exactly what made him like _this_?!” The princess wasn’t giving up. “What if he tried to swap back and it didn’t work or it… erased his mind entirely? I’m _not_ letting you drink some random potion-” 

As they continued squabbling over the bottle, Cass’ attention had drifted back towards Varian. He studied the trio with an intense fascination, pulling against the rope with a pained expression. It was almost as if… he _recognized_ them. She started running through the possibilities; Was some part of Varian still present, fighting against whatever had happened to him? Or was this thing… Varian’s body but mind swapped with some _thing_ that knew them, something that would recognize his friends.

“Cass!”

Eugene’s voice cut through her concentration. She wheeled around.

“Cass, come on! You’re on my side, right?”

“Sorry, Fitzherbert, even when I’m you - that’s not happening.” She gave him an apologetic smile, “But… I think I may have figured out our Varian situation…”

She turned back towards him, crouching low and offered in her best… animal-friendly voice:

“Ruddiger?”

The change was immediate. A wide grin spread across Varian’s face and he assumed a seated posture. If he’d had one, a tail would be wagging. Cass turned back to her friends, victorious.

“That stuff didn’t wipe his brain! The dumb kid must have swapped himself with his pet raccoon.” Cass frowned at the idea. She’d had a rough day, but if she was right, Varian had almost definitely had a worse one. She hadn’t parted on good terms with the young alchemist during their last encounter - but he was a good kid and she hoped against hope nothing bad had happened to him.

Eugene nodded slowly as he finished putting the pieces together. “Ruddiger must’ve run off with the potion after they swapped, and Varian’s been stuck in _his_ body!” he shook his head, “Poor kid, didn’t think it could get worse than being Cass _and_ ra but-”

“What do we do now?” Color was starting to return to Rapunzel’s face, “We don’t even know where Varian is!”

Cass’ eyes jumped back to the bottle. Grinning, she plucked it from Eugene’s hands and uncorked it in one smooth motion.

“Now,” she held up her prize, “I think it’s time to get reacquainted with ourselves.”

She took a small swig of the remaining ink-ish fluid. Honestly, she had no idea how much was necessary but felt reassured it was the correct amount when the same kick-back from the night before slammed into her, forcing her down to her knees. Grimacing, she handed the bottle to Eugene.

“Here’s to you, _Cassandra_ ,” she forced a smile through the pain, “and may I never again wake up to your stupid goatee.” Eugene rolled his eyes but followed suit, snapping over like a shot as the elixir wracked his body. He gave her a pained glare.

“And to think I- I was just starting to get the hang of playing y- you,” he got out between shaky breaths, “the trick is j- just to bear your fangs and hiss anytime my natural charm comes out. F- folks don’t b- bat an eye.”

He tossed the remaining ounce of potion to Rapunzel. As Cass fell to her side and she felt her consciousness fading, she glanced up to the princess, white as a sheet.

“R- Raps, give th- the rest to Ru- Ruddiger... ” she stammered, catching Rapunzel’s nervous nod just as her vision turned black.

-

Rapunzel shook as she inched towards the currently docile Varian. He looked at her curiously, while casting beady glances back at her two currently unconscious friends. She waved the bottle in his face, her words cut up by sharp breaths.

“O- okay Ruddiger, you gotta drink this up, it’s for your own good.”

He eyed her warily but allowed the princess to open his mouth and - from a distance - she poured the remaining dark liquid inside. Thankfully, he swallowed it down, but immediately commenced violently hacking and straining at the rope. Rapunzel jumped back, letting out a small yelp.

She was _scared_. 

It seemed like all the awful things that had happened in the past twelve hours had suddenly caught up to her and left a frightened kid in her place. She just didn’t understand _why_ . Her friends _hopefully_ would be back to normal after a few minutes. They could get Varian back to Old Corona, maybe a little less angry with her now that she’d saved his butt from life as a raccoon. 

But despite knowing this not-so-fun adventure would finally be over, worry still nipped at her mind. The image of Cass-as-Eugene rushing out of the room, the pain in her eyes during their confrontation, their semi-fight from last night.

_“Well, she’s not!”_

She’d been unable to broach the subject after finding Cass in her room, so sunken and gray. She only wanted to help her friend - help her through whatever pain she was experiencing, any obstacles that stood in her way. She knew it wasn’t always easy to be Rapunzel’s lady-in-waiting when her aspirations lay elsewhere but this felt… different. 

How could Rapunzel help her, if she was the source of Cass’... heartache?

She giggled at the thought, despite everything. The idea of Cass feeling _moony_ over _anyone_ was ridiculous, least of all _her_. Cass had always seemed too strong, too proud for crushes. 

And besides… with Rapunzel? Cass was her best friend, her confidant, her future Captain of the Guard, while Rapunzel reigned as Queen. But the cold feeling in her gut returned as she thought back to their kiss. There had been… something ferocious about the person she thought was Eugene in that moment. A fire absent from their normal affectionate pecks.

And if Cass really did feel that way, what would that mean for their friendship? Would Cass not _want_ to be her friend anymore? Could you even _be_ friends with someone who wanted… more?

Groaning from her rear broke her quiet contemplation and she whipped around. 

“Cass! Eugene!” She was already on the ground next to them, holding Cass’ hand as she lightly embraced her boyfriend. They both looked as badly dazed and pained as they had the night before. Rapunzel searched for some recognition in their eyes.

“Are…. are you back to being yourselves…?” She asked hopefully. “Eugene? Is that you in there?” She held her breath as he slowly sat up, groaning and holding his head. 

“Blondie, remind me to _never_ attend boring nobles dinners with you ever again?”

She let out a choked laugh, tears falling as she pulled him into the tightest hug his currently fragile condition could allow. After several increasingly desperate protests from Eugene about his ability to breath, she turned to Cass. She had already propped herself up and looked back at Rapunzel with a pained half-smile. 

“It’s me, Raps, it’s me. I’m okay.”

Rapunzel took her hand and squeezed it. She couldn’t bring herself to _say_ anything, letting a silent moment pass instead. Cass looked strained and tired but she looked like _herself_ again and that made all the difference in the world. Looking into her friend’s eyes, she felt an internal _click_. 

No matter what happened, she wasn’t going to lose her. Not today. Not _ever._

“Uhm… guys?”

Eugene pointed their attention to the back of the barn. Rapunzel glanced back and felt relief quickly twist to confusion. 

“Varian?”

He was already on his feet, eyes darting back and forth, a look of pure panic and something like _rage_ plastered across his face. She stood up again and took a single, ginger step. 

“Varian, don’t worry, you’re okay now,” she reached out her hand. “I’m so sorry for… whatever happened but-”

“No, you’re not.”

She took a step back, giving her friends a confused glance. The alchemist looked positively furious with... _them_? Eugene seemed just as baffled, but Cass tried to strand, steadying herself against the stable door.

“Varian…” she muttered through gritted teeth, “what were you doing with that potion?”

His eyes flickered across Cassandra before narrowing back down on the princess. For a second, Rapunzel could swear a smirk danced across his face

“You’re not sorry yet,” he reached into his pocket, “but you will be.”

Rapunzel leapt forward but it was too late. A flash of light, and smoke was everywhere. Coughing, grasping at the air in front of her, she tried to locate Varian in the chaos but by the time the room had cleared, he was gone.

The doors of the stable burst open, and she was running down the hill scanning the horizon for any trace of him, yelling his name. Eugene and Cass hobbled out after her, leaning against one another. An uncomfortable silence settled on the three friends.

After a moment, Eugene let out a strained yell, “You’re _welcome!_ ”

Rapunzel felt dread retching up inside of her. 

“We need to go to Old Corona.”

Two sighs wheezed out from behind her. She smiled and turned to her friends, who were looking determined but considerably bent out of shape.

 _“After_ we get you two fixed up.”

-

The rest of the day passed with surprisingly little fanfare. Cass made a point of stopping by Crowley’s quarters, apologizing for her less than tactful request for the day off. Crowley had given a stiff nod coupled with a _harumph,_ which felt like forgiveness enough. It probably meant double duty during the coming weekend, but she could handle that. Better than being fired or thrown in jail. 

After Rapunzel had been assured that - _yes,_ they would both be fine in a few hours, and _no,_ there was no need for her to hang around them like a watchdog - the princess had reluctantly egressed to attend to her abandoned royal duties for the day. She’d promised them both that it would only take a couple of hours, before giving Eugene a quick peck on the cheek, and Cass a particularly _powerful_ bear-hug. 

And like that, she was back in her room. In her own room, in her own body. Even looking in her less-than-pristine vanity almost brought tears to her eyes. Cass wasn’t typically concerned in the least with her appearance but seeing that mop of raven hair atop her slim but strong frame made her glow with pride.

_Did I actually get away with it?_

In the quiet of the evening, it seemed possible. Eugene hadn’t said a word about the swap since it ended, except to remind Cass of just how _superior_ his form is, and show her the proper way to style her hair. Rapunzel too, had seemed fully relaxed back into her normal self; keeping the two from each other’s throats, and side-eyeing Cass when Eugene’s boasts grew unbearable. 

Maybe this would just roll off her back, another wacky adventure for the princess’ journal. In a couple of months, no one would even remember the fiery kiss between Rapunzel and her body-swapped handmaiden.

_No one but you._

The voice nagged in the back of her mind. She tried to push it down by polishing her broadsword (Fitzherbert wasn’t wrong - it did calm her!) and giving Owl as much love as the poor bird deserved, neglected as he was last night. 

_You’ll remember that kiss for as long as you live._

She pushed the cloth forcefully over her blade, gritting her teeth. If Rapunzel and Eugene seemed okay to move on from this week’s adventure, couldn’t she do the same? Pretend it was all for the ruse, maybe bring it up years down the line, after the princess and Fitzherbert were married, and laugh at the absurdity of it all?

_‘Cass,’ Rapunzel would laugh, ‘remember when you kissed me? And Eugene thought you had fallen in love?’_

A lump had lodged itself in her throat and seemed determined to stay there. 

-

It was around nine o’ clock when Rapunzel showed up at her door.

She stood in the hallway, already in pajamas, and looked at Cass expectantly.

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” She raised her eyebrows at the princess, baffled.

“Don’t tell me you forgot!” she said in mock exasperation, “...our sleepover?”

Cass’ face flushed. “Oh… Raps, I didn’t think that was tonight, uhm, but - listen I’m not even that tired, why don’t we try next-?”

Rapunzel was having none of it. “No buts! You haven’t slept in a month, no way you’re ‘not tired’.” She took Cassandra by the hand and started dragging her out of the door. “Unless that’s still Eugene inside there, you’re coming with me!”

And so she found herself in Rapunzel’s whale of a bed, nibbling on a midnight snack which had been smuggled in from the kitchen, wearing one of her frilly nightgowns. The princess had insisted, saying there was nothing in the Seven Kingdoms more conducive to a good night’s sleep. 

They’d snacked and talked about nothing for a little while, discussing Rapunzel’s upcoming birthday celebration. Cass recounted some of the more _unpleasant_ aspects of being in Fitzherbert’s body to Rapunzel’s snorts and gasps. They danced around the idea of telling the King about their misadventure, Cass gratefully agreeing when Rapunzel proposed keeping it to themselves.

They settled into a serious tone when the topic of Varian came up, deciding to travel to Old Corona this weekend to work out whatever had happened. Rapunzel looked miserably guilty when his father’s condition came up, falling into Cass’ arms. She held the princess tight, gently running her hands through her hair.

It was nice, Cass thought to herself. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been avoiding Rapunzel until this moment, scared of encouraging the nightmares. But she missed the feeling of their two bodies pressed against each other, even just to comfort, to console. 

As the night went on, they settled into a comfortable silence. Rapunzel laid next to her drawing _something,_ and Cass pretended not to notice the intensity with which she studied her face. They weren’t touching, but they were close enough that she still felt her warmth in the bed next to her.

She drew silently for what felt like hours before the dam broke.

“Cass?” 

“Mhm?” 

“Can I ask you something?”

Cass hunched herself up on her elbows and looked over at the princess. Rapunzel had put her journal down and was looking at her, hands fidgeting in the soft candlelight. She felt her stomach tighten.

“Shoot.”

“I was… I was thinking about last night,” she said slowly, deliberately, “about… what happened.”

Cass felt like her throat might jump out of her mouth. She swallowed hard, and forced a laugh.

“Yeah, what a wild night! Can’t believe I tried to pretend I was Eugene, huh? That’ll make a great story someday...”

Rapunzel bit her lip. “...right… I was more thinking about… when you kissed me.”

Cass coughed. “Well, technically Raps, _you_ kissed me first.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t know it was you!” she squealed, pushing her shoulder.

Cass snorted, momentarily forgetting. Rapunzel’s laugh ran out and her face resumed its careful curiosity. 

“I just mean… after you ran out of the room today… and with how you reacted last night to what Eugene said - he told me how upset you were - I guess... I just want to know if you have anything you need to tell me?”

No, no, no. This wasn’t happening now, not tonight, not when she thought it was over. Cass blinked a few times before shaking her head.

“Raps, it was all just a big misunderstanding-”

“I know, I know, you were just pretending, but still - if there’s something you have to say-”

“You _know_ you can’t believe everything Fitz _herbert_ says-”

“Cass!” Rapunzel pleaded, “Do you?”

Everything was still. Cass couldn’t bring herself to look away from Rapunzel’s eyes, so big they became mirrors, reflecting back every guilty twitch. The air became solid, unbreakable, any movement like trying to swim through solid stone.

Cass whispered. “I… I don’t know.” 

Rapunzel leaned in. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I- I’m not used to having friends either, you know? Being close to people, having sleepovers - Obviously, all of this is new to you but… it’s new to me too.” She clutched her pillow to her chest, unable to stop incriminating herself. “I _never_ expected to… _care_ about you this much. To worry about you, to _want_ to spend every day with you. When I started, it was just another job. Another excuse from my dad to keep me off the guard. But now...”

Bits of nightmare flashed in her mind. Rapunzel’s laugh turning cruel and callous. Guards swarming in like rats. Her father - broken, horrified -

A hand fell on her shoulder. Cass turned, blinking away tears. Rapunzel smiled back at her. 

“Now?”

“...now, I don’t know.”

They sat quietly for a long time. Hot tears continued to roll down Cass’ cheeks. She hated hated _hated_ anyone seeing her cry but every few minutes, Rapunzel would lean over, and with a gentle hand, wipe the drops from her face. Her touch felt like salve on broken skin, cool and soft. 

Cass knew she had said enough - Rapunzel _would_ believe her that all of this was simply misattributed friendship. She was in the clear.

But she couldn’t stop herself.

“What would you say if… Eugene _was_ right about me? About how I feel when I’m... around you.”

Her heart hammered loud - a death toll. A few endless seconds passed by.

Rapunzel spoke in a calm voice. “I would tell you that it wouldn’t change anything. That _I_ wouldn’t let it. That you’d still be my best friend. And that I’m _never_ losing you.”

She was squeezing her hand now, a delicate pulse that echoed through Cassandra’s body. 

“No matter what.”

Silence once again filled the room. Rapunzel, seemingly satisfied, gave her hand one more squeeze before extinguishing the candle on her bedside table. They were blanketed in darkness.

A voice itched through.

_Is that enough?_

-

She didn’t know when she had fallen asleep.

It had started like so many of her dreams. She was charging into the palace, wearing her handmaiden’s uniform, no broadsword, no dagger. Inside, fire twisted its way up purple bannisters, panicked civilians jumping from first story windows. She screamed Rapunzel’s name.

Her father’s men were nowhere, the enemy spread through every back passage. She ran until she was captured, fought and spit and bit until they brought her to the princess. Screaming, sobbing, she begged them to spare her life, to take hers instead. The men smiled with cruel indifference as they raised their hatchets.

She woke up to Rapunzel’s touch. The princess perched beside her, a hand gently stroking her side. 

“Nightmare?” she whispered.

Cass nodded.

“What was it this time?”

“Army,” the sound came out hoarse, “invading the castle. They’d taken you prisoner and-“

Her voice broke. Rapunzel nodded.

The moonlight from the window helped her eyes adjust. Corona sang at them from below, endless choruses of city life reverberating through the room. Rapunzel continued to brush against her nightgown in a steady rhythm.

“I’m safe, Cass.” 

The moonlight faded. All she could see was Rapuznel’s golden halo.

“I’m safe here with you.”

And for the first night in a month, Cass fell into a deep sleep. She didn’t wake til morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, this was a joy to write.
> 
> I have plans for a... continuation of sorts. Suffice it to say that Rapunzel's curiosity has spiked. And there are still two more seasons to get through.
> 
> Until then!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] By Any Other Name](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636941) by [Changing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Changing/pseuds/Changing)




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